Now it’s time to dig deep and see what the web has to offer the Dragonborn. The following resources will aid you in clearing dungeons, navigating the province, mastering alchemy and a whole lot more.

I was going to put a joke here, but then I took an arrow to the knee.

Reference & Walkthrough

You can’t beat a well-maintained wiki when it comes to crowdsourcing information about video games, and Skyrim isn’t short on wikis. The two I would recommend are the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP, established in 1995) and the Elder Scrolls at Wikia.

Both of these sites feature a healthy, constantly growing database of pretty much everything the game throws at you. Mission walkthroughs, character biographies, item locations – pretty much everything you need to know. Be warned though, it’s easy to spoil quests and developing storylines by spending too much time reading articles. Skyrim’s entry on GameFAQs also has a number of extremely detailed walkthroughs.

If it’s a giant annotated map you’re after then check out GameBanshee’s 9.34MB high-resolution .PNG which also comes in 9-page PDF form for easy printing as a 3×3 poster for your wall (you geek).

Alchemy & Ingredients

The simplest way of discovering an ingredient’s effect is by eating it and seeing what happens to you. If you’re not keen on poisoning yourself or would rather not waste your precious ingredients then one of the many alchemy guides is bound to suit.

There are two rather awesome tools for budding alchemists, the first being the Skyrim Alchemy Recipes Finder. Simply add a few ingredients (or all of them for the full list) and all possible potions will be revealed to you. This utility is useful for finding out what certain ingredients do without wasting anything.

You can also use Josh Blevins’ Alchemy Effects & Ingredients to reverse look-up an effect for a list of ingredients. Traditional types who like long plain text lists should take a look at Ahlyis’ Alchemy Guide on GameFAQs which has full potions, ingredients and effects lists.

Character Building

Building a character can present you with some of the toughest decisions in the game, so planning your perks is the best way to ensure your character blossoms into the dragon slaying hero you desire.

Thankfully it’s easy to do just that with the Skyrim Perk Calculator. Use it to go hog wild and build the character of your dreams then plan your path to power, save and start exploring the world. iOS and Android users can look forward to mobile apps soon.

There is also a fairly lengthy character development guide on GameFAQs as well as this more condensed version from SegmentNext.

PC Gamers & Modding

Those of you enjoying the PC version of the game are lucky enough to be able to modify it but also have the added obstacle of performance issues. If you are suffering from poor framerates or just think your game could run smoother then have a look at nVidia’s Skyrim tweak guide, it even comes with Bethesda’s approval.

As for mods then look no further than Skyrim Nexus. There really are quite a lot of mods on this site with new ones being released regularly. If you fancy modding your game but don’t know where to start then you could always take some inspiration from PC Gamer’s Top 25 Skyrim mods.

Conclusion

If you’ve not yet played Skyrim then you have a fantastic experience in store if beautiful open-world RPGs are your thing. Even if you’re a well-seasoned adventurer, hopefully some of these resources will help you out next time you decide to start a new character.

If you have any of your own recommendations, links or just an opinion then add a comment below.

Video games are challenges in themselves; it’s just that cheat codes make them more interesting. From 8 bit games of old to today’s massively multiplayer online games and even Facebook games like Farmville, cheat codes are a part of the gaming culture.

Use them or abhor them, here are ten gaming websites to go to for game cheat codes.

CheatCodes

The CAPTCHA guarded entry is irksome, but beyond that CheatCodes.com is one of the more popular game cheat code sites around. The site has been there cataloging them all since 1996, so the breadth and depth is pretty impressive. The site is neatly sub-divided by the gaming platforms – from PC games to even Nintendo 3DS. Many of the cheat codes have been submitted by users themselves. You can look into the game details and also print out the cheat codes.

Games Radar

Games Radar is primarily a game review and news site with assorted resources like playing guides, buying tips, walkthroughs, and of course a section for game cheats. You can browse them by platform or go alphabetically. Games Radar covers all the major platforms and a few less popular ones like the Sega Saturn games. Games Radar also lists unlockable games if the main games have one (or few). You can also submit your own tip here.

Cheat Happens

Cheathappens.com is a dedicated website on cheat codes and PC trainers. It also includes game reviews, wallpapers, guides, and has a message board. The site has been online since 2002 and has a mix of free and premium offerings. Premium members get first dibs at some of the games cheats and trainers that are developed in-house, which are later released to the public. Cheathappens.com also features a cheats glossary and trainer tutorials among its resources.

GameWinners

The site’s Cheats And Codes Archive covers 56 platforms from the classic gaming days to today’s current crop. The cheats, codes, and hints library also includes FAQs, strategy guides, as well as CodeBreaker, GameShark, and Action Replay codes. The site is very simple and utilitarian but the information at first glance does seem to be very extensive. The listing is in the style of a directory.

GameSpot

GameSpot is a part of a larger group of media properties and is super-focused on game reviews. The site has channels for every major gaming platform though social games like those on Facebook are absent and the number of cheats if also selective. Each game has its own page with a listing of unlockables, cheats, secrets, and Easter Eggs.

Super Cheats

The 1999 launched site features walkthroughs, an advanced questions and answers features to help gamers with the exact game help that they need, and a bunch of exclusive guides for top games. The site is arranged around the platforms (from PS3 to SNES) and that makes it easy to find the content. You can also go by the ‘Most Popular’ and the ‘Latest’ lists. The listing is vast as at last count, the PC channel alone had 5201 cheats and 2002 walkthroughs. In total the site has 10,432 games, 2,002 walkthroughs across all platforms.

MegaGames

Cheats, trainers, demos, patches, mods, emulators, fixes etc. makes up the content for this site. 9000 different games are featured on the site. The hardcore gaming resource’s main focus is on PC and console games.

IGN

The gaming and entertainment website has cheat codes for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, 3DS, PSP & iPhone games along with video game reviews, news, interviews and previews. The site itself is on the top tier of its genre and is very neatly organized which each title getting a wiki of its own. The cheats are described in greater detail and it’s almost blog-styled in its description. Most of the cheats are submitted by users.

Game Cheats

The site covers 13000 games and displays a comprehensive list of the most popular cheats. Classic games as well as the Nokia N-Gage are covered. You can go into the forums to discover more cheats as well as ask around.

Chapter Cheats

Chapter Cheats resembles the look and feel of a few sites above. The database is arranged around Top Games, Upcoming Games, and Latest Cheats and Walkthroughs. There is a comprehensive Q&A section to field all your gaming queries. Each game has its own page and you can read about unlockables, and other game related options.

Between these ten cheat code websites and the three we had earlier covered in 3 Great Sources For Computer Game Walkthroughs and Cheats you have enough of a handicap to crash through the levels. Some of the other resources we have covered include:

• Mafia Wars On Facebook – Tips & Cheats
• Top 5 Sites With Free Strategy Guides For Gamers
• How To Cheat In Every Computer Game With Poke
• Top 8 Websites With Cheats for Old PS1 Games

There are plenty more where these came from. Tell us about your favorite destination for game cheats. How often do you fall back on them?

Image Credit: Shutterstock

On the other side, each year more and more people start talking about how they are sick of Call of Duty. Message boards and comments sections were full of complaints about this year’s game, and people were jumping on the Battlefield 3 bandwagon as if it was going out of style. Analysts said Battlefield would close the gap and sell almost as much as Call of Duty. Then COD came out, and sold more copies than ever before. What does this mean? Is it all talk, or are people really getting sick of Call of Duty?

Why People Are Not Sick of Call of Duty

The obvious argument is that the game is still selling bazillions of copies with each release. People are lining up at their local game retailers at midnight just to get a copy a few hours earlier. Each year, Call of Duty breaks its own record for the highest selling entertainment product. How can you argue with these numbers?

The fact is; you cannot. Until I see a tangible slip in the sale of Call of Duty games, I will not believe that gamers are sick of them. People can cry about lack of change and innovation until they are blue in the face, but until they stop buying the games, they are just crying for no reason.

Not only does COD continue to sell well, it sees gamers investing hundreds of hours. Log into Modern Warfare 3 any time of the day, and you will see hundreds of thousands of active players at any time, and even more during peak hours. Look up and down the leaderboard and you will see millions of high-level players, meaning they put a substantial chunk of time into the game. This means that not only are they still buying the game, but that they are continuing to play it, which will lead them right into buying next year’s game without question.

Nothing else can compete with Call of Duty. Until a viable competitor comes along, Call of Duty will sit atop the throne as the king of shooters. Battlefield 3 was supposed to be the great savior, and while it was certainly a smash success, it appeared to have no effect on the sales of COD. Someone needs to find a way to create that feeling that hooked gamers into the first Modern Warfare, and until they do, it is likely that Call of Duty will be the king until gamers get bored with shooters all together (which I do not ever see happening).

Why People Are Sick of Call of Duty

The message boards are blowing up. Complaints are pouring in about how sick people are of the Call of Duty formula. They are sick of seeing the same game over and over again. Five years of shooters that follow the exact same formula can become stale. Look what happened to Guitar Hero. It was bigger than sliced bread, and then it was forgotten because it became boring.

Go listen to video game podcasts like the Giant Bombcast and Weekend Confirmed, and you will hear some of the best video game journalists talking about Call of Duty fatigue. They will tell you how the formula of the game is wearing thin on them. It is a scary proposition for Activision, who even acknowledge that they think about gamers becoming bored with the franchise. It is a real possibility that the public could get sick of COD.

With most of the previous COD games, the one thing people never complained about was the quality. Every map was amazing, and overall game play mechanics were spot on, but with this one, complaints started happening. It still had a solid 89 on GameRankings, but Call of Duty 4 had a 94 and Modern Warfare 2 had a 93. That is an appreciable drop, and it shows that critics might be getting a little sick of COD.

The Verdict

No, people are not sick of Call of Duty – yet. The facts do not lie; each COD is selling progressively more than the last. Until we see a downward trend in these numbers, it is impossible to say that Call of Duty is on the down-swing. The people who are claiming to be sick of it are a vocal minority, and they just do not have significant enough numbers to provide any noticeable effect on the sales of the franchise.

The review scores are a little scary, but in the end, there is nothing wrong with an 89. Many games would kill for an average review score of 89, so I do not think this is anything to sweat over yet. I think the time will come when Call of Duty will sail into the sunset, but I do not see it happening until something better comes along. Battlefield left a blip on COD’s radar, but it was not enough to hurt them. It will happen, but I do not think it be will for a few more years.

What do you think? Is Call of Duty in its prime, or on the down swing? Are you sick of it personally, or do you still love it? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re handy with a laminator and some plastic tubs, these games could last a long while. And if they don’t, you can just print them again. No worries. Here’s some great printable games and sources to get you started.

BSG Express

BSG Express is a free non-profit print-and-play version of the extremely popular Battlestar Galactica game by Fantasy Flight Games. BSG Express is a much quicker game, but takes on many of the elements of the original game. Roll for skills, play action cards and accuse your friends of being toasters. There’s a bit of bluffing and deduction in there too, so it’s lots of fun.

Take-Back Toe

This Take-Back Toe game looks simple, is incredibly easy to learn and yet can be played repeatedly without getting boring. Take 40 poker chips, a 4×3 grid and a die, then prepare to work on your strategy.

Kolejka – Communist Poland

If educational games are your thing, why not teach your kids what it’s like to live in a communist country? Kolejka has you lining up at the doors of shops without knowing which shops are going to have a delivery that day. People use cards such as “Mother with a small child” to advance in the queue, then make deals with the merchants directly. It’s all in the name of getting home with a full bag of shopping.

Dr Who

Here’s a solitary adventure game based on Doctor Who. Whovians will love being able to take part in their own Dr Who story. Cards help you to gain allies, form enemies and take part in events and adventures. Basically, you’re writing your own Dr Who adventure, and what could be bad about that?

TimeLine

Sticking to the theme of time travel, TimeLine is another game you might like. Timeline has players combing history to buy important artifacts, then heading to the end of time to sell them.

Printing Games

All of these games are available for free to print, but if you’re really slack there are ways to get them printed professionally. Games such as TimeLine are already available to be printed at ArtsCow, while it’s also possible to get companies like ArtsCow to print any other printable card games you find online.

More Printable Games

If you’ve decided you like printable games, check out BoardGame Geek’s list of printable games and the list of free games at CheapAss. You’re bound to find some more games to enjoy.

More Printable Goodies

If you like printing useful things for free, check out these posts:

• 10 Websites to Make and Print Word Search Puzzles
• 3 Cool Sources For Free Printable Fill-In Puzzles
• Entertain Your Children With Printable Coloring Pages
• The Top 4 Sites To Find Free Printable Posters

Do you know of more great printable games? Add a link below!

The game can be played in multiplayer mode, against other users, or in solo mode. The goal is to answer space-related questions correctly, and as fast as possible, and earn as many points and badges as you possibly can. The first time you play, you will have to choose an avatar and a name, and will then be faced with 10 multiple-choice questions about the space program, the solar system, aeronautics and more.

The first round is played against two other players; for each correct answer, you’re awarded 100 points, and if you were the fastest to answer, you get an additional 20-points bonus. The winner of the round advances to a bonus round, which includes one question, and can earn you up to 1,500 additional points. If you answer the bonus question correctly, you get a badge. You can also use the points you earn to buy more badges, so look out for those bonus points.

According to NASA, they’re “hoping Space Race Blastoff opens up NASA’s history and research to a wide new audience of people accustomed to using social media”, and they “chose to make the game available through Facebook to take advantage of the social media site’s large audience and enable players to compete against others”.

The game is surprisingly fun to play, the question repository is large, and the whole thing is somewhat reminiscent to the ancient Cosmic Consensus. Go ahead and try it out. And don’t forget to let us know it the comments what you think!

Source: NASA

Nintendo platforms tend to be fueled by first party games, and it seems like the 3DS is no exception. That is not a knock against them, while they have a hard time getting many solid third-party games, having a loyal fan following that purchases anything with Mario or Zelda on the box nets Nintendo tons of money. These three games fall under that category, and the fact of the matter is, they are insanely good. They all have a Metacritic rating of over 85, with two having 90 or better. If you own a 3DS, you must play these games.

Super Mario 3D Land

It took Nintendo longer than expected to bring a proper Mario game to the 3DS, but when they did, they did it in style. Super Mario 3D Land shows exactly what the 3DS can do. You would think that after nearly 30 years the Mario formula would be tired, but you would be wrong. Nintendo consistently finds new ways to tweak and change the gameplay, keeping it fresh and exciting while still maintaining the feel that gamers expect from Mario.

What makes this game so special is the way it uses the 3D. Instead of just being a cheesy visual gimmick like it is for most games, it is actually integral to the gameplay. In making 3D a mechanic of the game, instead of just a visual trick, they have shown other developers what the 3DS can really do. They took what appeared to be a gimmick and made it essential for solving puzzles and navigating the world.

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D

What can I say about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that has not already been said? It is arguably (almost factually) the best video game ever made for any platform, and now it is available on the 3DS for gamers to bring the adventure wherever they go. The remake received universal praise, and has a Metacritic rating of 94 out of 100. Personally, if I was to review it, I would give it a 95, it really is that damn good, even all these years later.

The controls on the 3DS work well, and while it does not do anything groundbreaking with 3D like Mario, it is still an awesome remake of the one of the best video games ever made. It looks beautiful on the 3DS screen and is just as much fun to play as it ever was. If you own a 3DS, you need to play this game. For a new generation of gamers who may not have experienced Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64, this is their chance to have the time of their life.

Mario Kart 7

It is hard to believe that Mario Kart has been around for seven games, but here we are. Essentially, Nintendo releases the same game repeatedly with Mario Kart, and yet, it is still good every time. Mario Kart 7 does not do anything to revolutionize the cart-racing genre, but the thing is, it does not need to. Nintendo has the perfect formula, and changing it too much would just make it worse. As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Of course, Nintendo made small tweaks that take this Mario cart to a new level. There are new tracks and items to play with. They also implemented a well-made gyro control system so you can steer your cart by tilting your 3DS. Nintendo added a gliding mechanic that can really shake up a race if used properly. They threw in some new modes to keep things fresh and fun. They did not take anything that made Mario Kart great away from the game; they just added some fun to new layers to make it even better.

Conclusion

If you own a 3DS, you need to play these games. They have made the system actually worth owning. They are Nintendo staple franchises and they are all done right. They remind me of why we all were so excited when the 3DS was first announced at E3 a couple of years ago. Go to your local games shop and get these games; you will not regret it.

What games made it worth owning a 3DS for you? Let us know in the comments!

Mumble improves on other voice chat applications for gamers and offers quite a few advantages. It’s optimized for low-latency communications, making it perfect for hectic game situations where every second counts. It automatically normalizes people’s voices, so you don’t have to fiddle with volume levels. It has positional audio support for a variety of popular games, so you can hear another player’s voice coming from their character’s location in the game.

The advantages don’t stop there — it automatically reduces noise and optimizes sound quality. It has strong, certificate-based security. If you’re coming from Ventrilo, another popular voice chat application for gamers, you’ll also find that Mumble voice chat has a much more streamlined interface.

Low Latency

Mumble’s low latency is one of its biggest advantages. In my tests, latency seemed pretty similar to a normal phone call. I can’t say the same about my experience with Ventrilo, which often introduces huge delays. Mumble’s audio setup wizard helps you tune latency to the appropriate value for your sound hardware.

If you’re playing an online game, being able to communicate at almost real-time speeds is a big advantage. It can mean the difference between dodging an incoming attack and hearing about it while your character is already bleeding on the floor.

Automatic Volume Normalization

The Mumble server (also known as Murmur) automatically adjusts every user’s volume level for you. If you’ve used Ventrilo, you’ll remember having to adjust every user’s volume level individually. Mumble eliminates that pointless, fiddly busywork.

Mumble’s Automatic Gain Control feature works automatically as long as every user has their microphone volume at a high enough level — the audio setup wizard guides you through that part.

Positional Audio

Mumble voice chat works with any game, but it includes special plugins for some games. If you’re using Mumble with a supported game, you can activate positional audio and get full, 3D sound. You’ll hear your friend’s speech in your left ear if their character is standing to your left in the game. Mumble includes plugins for a variety of popular games, including World of Warcraft, Team Fortress 2, the Call of Duty series and the Left 4 Dead games. You can find a full list of supported games on the Mumble wiki.

Setup is easy: Ensure the game’s plugin is enabled, activate the “Link to Game and Transmit Position” on the plugins pane and enable the Positional Audio checkbox on the Audio Output settings pane.

Security

Mumble has strong security features. Encryption is one of them — Mumble encrypts all communications between you and the server, so you can have private voice conversations without being eavesdropped on.

Instead of passwords, Mumble uses certificate-based authentication. Mumble recommends you create a trusted certificate, but this isn’t entirely necessary for casual use. You can just select the Automatic Certificate Creation option to have Mumble create a self-signed certificate for you.

Certificates are more secure than passwords — people can’t connect to a server and impersonate you unless they acquire your private certificate, which is stored locally on your computer. Server administrators can assign fine-grained permissions to specific certificates, and you can even use your certificate to reserve a username on a server.

The Interface

Finding and connecting to servers is easy in Mumble. The program itself provides a list of public servers to connect to — of course, you can also connect to a private server if you know its address

Mumble’s interface is much more streamlined and easy-to-use than many other voice chat applications (I’m looking at you, Ventrilo). By default, there’s a box on the left for status messages and text chat, and a channel list on the right. The lip icon to the left of a user’s name turns red when that user starts talking. The layout is completely customizable from Mumble’s configuration window.

Mumble voice chat eliminates those features that no one uses and brings commonly-used features to the fore. It’s easy to record conversations, set comments and avatar images other users can see and perform other common tasks with Mumble.

Mumble has a built-in overlay, so you can see who’s talking even when you’re playing a full-screen game. The overlay is completely configurable; you can position it and adjust its appearance from Mumble’s configuration window.

Conclusion

Mumble’s only real disadvantage is that it’s not as widespread and many gamers are unfamiliar with it. Still, if you can bring your gamer friends around, Mumble is likely a big improvement over what you’re already using.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Have you tried Mumble? Do you still prefer another voice chat app? Or do all your gamer friends just use Ventrilo or TeamSpeak?

Trading in your games can be a good idea, and there are a number of stores that offer this service. They might low-ball you, however. Fortunately, the Internet can expand your options even if you’ve taken up residence at the end of the Earth.

Trading Games For Cash

One of the problems you run into when trading in games is the lack of cash offers. Most stores want you to turn around and buy from them, so they just offer you store credit.

Fortunately, there are two online sites that can help you step around this obstacle by allowing you to trade games online, and they both start with a G – Gazelle and Gylde. Neither site is dedicated to games alone. They are both aimed simply at people looking to get rid of old things, as well as people looking to buy used things. You might think that the freedom of cash would result in a penalty, but I looked at some offers and found them to be roughly comparable, and sometimes higher than, the store trade-in credit typically offered for the same titles.

Of the two I think Gazelle, despite a more muddled front page, is probably the better. They will quote you a price on your trade-in without requiring that you create an account. Glyde, on the other hand, wanted me to create an account complete with credit card information before conducting any activity.

Gazelle is also a direct, no-hassle item for cash trade. Gazelle pays shipping on items over $1 and once the item is received and its condition verified, you will receive cash by check or through PayPal. Glyde lists your item and then sends you a mailer to ship it to the buyer once it sells.

Trading Games For Store Credit

If you’re simply like to trade in your game for credit from a big online retailer, you’ll find that Amazon and Best Buy can help you.

Both of these companies run online trade-in programs and they work in basically the same way. You search for the game you want to sell in the company’s database and receive a price for it. If you accept it, you’ll be sent a free mailing label (but the packaging is up to you). After you send it in, the game is verified and a gift card is sent out.

These are simple, easy services with trusted retailers, which is why they offer low trade-in values. The sacrifice is particularly obvious on Amazon.com. If you browse the used marketplace you’ll find games going for two to three times the amount of store credit Amazon will give you for a trade-in.

That’s the price you pay for convenience. You’ll receive less for your game but you don’t have to wait for your item to sell, you don’t have to worry about buyer feedback and you don’t have to pay shipping.

Peer To Peer Trading

Gamers have been trading games in to companies for cash or credit for years. But what if you could skip the middle man and instead trade directly with other games? Wouldn’t that provide a better value? There are in fact two sites that facilitate such trades – Goozex and Mooch. The idea here is simple. You post the games you have up for trade and the games you’d like to receive, then the system tries to find a match for you.

Despite their similar goals, these two sites differ in how they work. Goozex charges a flat $1.99 fee for all trades. They also provide a shipping label, but you have to pay the price of shipping yourself. That may sound expensive, but it works out to be an amazing deal if you’re looking to trade new and popular games.

Mooch is different. The service can be used for free, but it uses a rather complex system of “Mooch points” to try and balance what are considered uneven trades. Mooch points are pricey, so you’re more or less corralled into the $19.99 yearly membership (which includes 100 free points). You also need a paid membership to have access to customer service and guaranteed trades. Shipping is not covered, so you have to pay that as well.

Of the two, Goozex seems better to my eye and has a better reputation online. It’s a much easier system to use and there’s no chance that you’ll end up wasting money on it, something that’s possible if you buy a Mooch membership but then can’t work out any acceptable trades.

If It Were Your Game….

I tend to sell on Amazon when they’re relatively new. That nets a decent price. I’ve used game trading before, and had a good experience with it. But I find the process to be more time-consuming then I’d like.

What system do you prefer to trade games online? Let us know what you think in the comments.

In the end, I managed to narrow it down to the three most badass men in video games. These three characters could easily rival Rambo and The Terminator in terms of overall toughness. These gentlemen define what it means to be an unstoppable force. They bring awesome to another level. What makes badass video game characters more special is that we get to be them. In a movie, we just watch the awesomeness happen, but in a game, the player gets to see firsthand what it is like to be a one-man wrecking machine.

Solid Snake

In Metal Gear Solid 4, Snake is an old man. His hair has gone gray and his face is showing some serious wrinkles. For most men, that would mean it is time to settle down and enjoy retirement some place warm. For Snake, it is just another day in the office and that means it is time for him to be a total badass. Snake is like the Sean Connery of video games. Just when you think he is too old to smash your face in, he does it anyway!

When Snake was a young man, he was also particularly badass. He is a professional sneak who makes it his personal business to take out entire rooms of bad guys without ever being seen. Even if he does get spotted, he can clear the room with expert hand-to-hand combat skills. Snake can do it all, and he is without question one of the most badass men in video game history.

Duke Nukem

Duke likes manly things. He likes smoking, he likes shooting stuff, he likes strippers and pretty much anything you can think of that is badass and manly. He has a bad attitude and that is part of his appeal. He came into existence in a time when action movies were huge. The Chuck Norris and Steven Seagals of the world were in their prime, and he was a caricature of everything that made them great.

Sadly, Duke sat dormant for many years, wasting his prime years of badassery. His most recent game was a travesty against video games as a whole, but in spite of that, Duke still managed to be a total stud. That ups his awesome credibility because he managed to reside in one of the worst video games ever made, and still be awesome. Duke is a true badass down to his very core, and that is why he must be respected as one of the most badass video game characters of all time.

Kratos

(Spoiler alert from God of War). Kratos killed the freaking God of War. Everyone else on this list is badass in their own way, but seriously, no one else is even worthy of carrying Kratos’ jock. Sure, they killed some bad guys and some aliens, but Kratos brought down a God with his bare hands. If that is not the very definition of a bad ass, then I just do not know what is. The man rode the backs of The Titans without fear and he makes a habit of fighting and beating enemies who are much bigger and more powerful than himself. Of course, not only does he fight them, he also destroys them.

If you have never played a God of War game, you are missing some of the most insane displays of toughness ever witnessed in video game form. There is literally nothing that anyone can throw at Kratos to stop him. He is a one-man wrecking machine. Kratos is the epitome of a badass.

Conclusion

These are the three most badass male video game characters. Personally, I feel bad for the enemies who decide to oppose them in a fight. They all have distinguishing characterizes them make them badass, whether it’s Snake’s stealthy killing, Duke’s alien smashing and womanizing or Kratos generally destroying everything that opposes him, they are special in their own way.

Who do you think are the most badass male video game characters? Let us know in the comments!

This list compiles three female video game characters that are so badass that they rival any of their male counterparts. These are women that you do not want to mess with, and the antagonists in their game learn that the hard way. These three girls prove that not only can a girl be tough and awesome, but that male gamers have no problem playing a game with a female in a major role.

Lara Croft

Lara Croft is one of the original badass femme fatales in video games. She is the female version of Indiana Jones in video game form. She is a badass down to her very core. Whether she is climbing a mountain, digging though a cave or killing bad guys, Lara can get it done.

Sure, the quality of the Tomb Raider games has slipped over the years, but one thing that stands the test of time is how tough Lara Croft is. Even in the worst Tomb Raider games, Lara still stands out as a great character and is without a doubt one of the most badass girls in gaming.

Jill Valentine

Jill walked into a house filled with zombies and was immediately separated from her squad mates. Not only did she survive this ordeal, but she thrived. Zombie dogs are jumping through a window and attacking from behind? No problem. Oh, you want her to fight a giant zombie plant? Sure, Jill can handle that. You want her to survive an attack from a giant monster three times her size? Yeah, why not? Jill will take him out too.

Jill also bucked the trend because unlike Lara Croft, she did not have a disproportionate body type, if you catch my drift. She was built much more like an average human being, and that was refreshing to see in video games. She was attractive, but in a much more normal way.

Samus Aran

Spoiler Alert from 1986; Samus is a girl! I remember how shocked I was at the end of Metroid when Samus removed her helmet. Samus is the original badass female game character. Back when Zelda and Peach were being kidnapped, and it was up to the male characters to rescue them, Samus was shooting lasers and bombs at anyone who opposed her.

Samus is not only one of the most badass female video game characters, but she is also one of the most important because she made gamers realize that a female can get the job done just as well as any male.

Samus is a space bounty hunter who kills thousands of bad guys in each one of her games. Honestly, does it get much more badass than that? The first Metroid was, in my opinion, one of the hardest games in the history of video games, and the only reason it was possible was because the crazy armament of weapons at Samus Aran’s disposal. There was literally nothing Samus couldn’t do, and that is why she is one of the most badass female video game characters of all time.

Conclusion

The important thing to note here is that I made a gender distinction, but realistically, these three women could easily be included in a list of the top most badass video game characters in general. I just chose to separate male and female to make sure the females stood out and received the attention they deserved. Speaking of males, next week I will bring you the most badass male video game characters.

Who do you think are the toughest female video game characters? Let us know in the comments!