I Want to Be a 'Mad Man'...

Not really, but I have been watching the show for the past week and I just cannot stop. There is a certain glamour and allure to the high life Mad Men presents as typical of the '60s, mired as it is in the blood and sweat of sexism, racism, and other numerous -isms. The characters are terrible, terrible people, but they are so transfixing to watch.

'Total War: Shogun 2' Features 'Fall of the Samurai' in Future DLC

Creative Assembly gave us the pretty fantastic Total War: Shogun 2, allowing players to take control of a clan during 16th-century Japan and vie for supremacy over the entire island. Then, they followed through with a sizable expansion, Rise of the Samurai, which rolled the clocks back to the Gempei War, set 400 years before the events in the game.

Now, they take us forward to the time period leading up to the Boshin War, which saw the end of the feudal samurai and the beginnings of modern Japan. Enter Fall of the Samurai, a massive standalone expansion to be released in March 2012.

Notebook: The Squire, Part One

The Squire

By Blake Gabriel

Death’s stench filled his nostrils with the sickly sweet smell of blood, gore, and shit mixing together in the mud and rain. It clung to him like a desperate lover, its cloying scent overcoming all others.

“Hush now,” the knight whispered to the man dying in his lap. “All is well. The battle is over.”

Even in the hands of the realm’s most skilled surgeon, Ser Hewes knew that the soldier was doomed. The blade that had torn his stomach open like a slashed sack of grain lay nearby, as well as the corpse of the man who had borne it. All Hewes could do now was comfort the soldier as the goddess took him from the world.

“You fought bravely, Hollis,” Hewes said, holding the soldier’s hand. “You saved my life.”

Hollis gave him a shuddering smile. The soldier’s weathered face was caked in bloodied mud, but his eyes still gleamed brightly beneath the grime.

“Was just – doing my part, ser,” Hollis grunted, his eyes closing for a moment. “I didn’t think the bastard would get me so good.”

“I am proud to have called you one of my own,” Hewes said. “Any lord would pay many gold crowns to have an armsman such as you in their service.”

The soldier nodded, his blood staining the ground around him and soaking into Hewes’ arms, but the knight didn’t pay any attention to it. He could have a new surcoat made, but he could not buy a soldier as loyal and brave as the man in his arms.

“You’ll be given an honored burial, my friend,” Hewes promised.

Suddenly, with renewed strength, Hollis gripped his master’s arm. His eyes opened wide, searching the gray curtains of cloud above.

HvZ Fall 2011: Da Bears Zombat Diary

Humans vs. Zombies is well under way in Athens, Ohio, and I'm knee deep in the bodies! Maybe not knee deep, but the game has been incredibly exciting. And it's only the third day! I figure, while I'm human at least, I'd keep a record of how I and my strike team are doing during this year's fall game.

Robin as a Playable Character in 'Arkham City'

If you're not excited for Batman: Arkham City, you should be. And if you've already decided to get it, then you should definitely preorder it -- At Best Buy. Normally, I like getting my games at GameStop or online (either through Steam, Amazon, or other more nefarious methods), but if you preorder Arkham City at Best Buy, you'll be able to play as Robin the Boy Wonder.

Read more and see the trailer of playable Robin after the jump.

'Mark of the Assassin' Looks Just Like 'Stolen Memory'

After playing three generations of BioWare games (Baldur's Gate II, Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, etc.) I've started to fear that their creative juice-boxes are beginning to run empty. Then, I saw the trailer for "Mark of the Assassin," which is the newly-announced DLC for Dragon Age II, and my fear was confirmed.

Japan Gets a New Pokemon Game for the Wii

Apparently, this game exists.

Earlier this week, Nintendo let slip that there was a giant Pokemon announcement on the horizon. Needless to say, Poke-Freaks everywhere had to change their pants. Pokemon Black/White only released earlier this year, so another announcement has set the Poke-Waters into a feeding frenzy of Poke-Sharks!

Alright, enough forced Poke-words. I might just Poke-barf. Nintendo and Creatures Inc. have announced PokePark 2: Beyond the World for the Wii. But Pokemon fans who don't live in Japan, you can probably go back to crying into your Pikachu plush because there is no announced American or European release.