What we are playing is a weekly column published on Sunday. Select members  of the team talk about the games they’ve been playing over the past week and  which they’re most looking forward to.

What We Are Playing

Shawn Ryan – I haven’t played too much this week, but I did finish up [easyazon-link asin=”B008J16ARY” locale=”us”]The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct[/easyazon-link]. I don’t think it’s as bad as reviews make it sound, but it isn’t worth the current retail value. I may even say I had some fun with it. I’ve also been slowly chipping away at [easyazon-link asin=”B002I0H2AG” locale=”us”]Gears of War: Judgment[/easyazon-link].

Nick Santangelo – Any time I’ve had available for gaming this week has been fully dedicated to [easyazon-link asin=”B003O6EB70″ locale=”us”]BioShock Infinite[/easyazon-link]. From the very opening moments the game has been, as one would expect, superb. Though the combat is excellent, the worst part of the game is when Irrational puts a weapon in your hands and the killing begins. Despite the racial and class ugliness that lies beneath, so beautiful is the world of Columbia on the surface that you can hardly bring yourself to disturb the perceived serenity — you want to consume this world, not destroy it. And how about that church scene at the beginning? Wow.

Chris Leggett – First of all, I managed to finish [easyazon-link asin=”B004FSE52C” locale=”us”]Tomb Raider[/easyazon-link] this week. I went in skeptical and came away won over. I had a lot of fun with this game, and I fervently believe that it’s a reboot for the better. Playing it after [easyazon-link asin=”B000A0XSN6″ locale=”us”]Tomb Raider Legend[/easyazon-link] (also made by Crystal Dynamics) really highlights how far the franchise and the medium itself have come in seven years. After finishing that, I moved straight onto BioShock Infinite, which is absolutely stunning. I’ll second Nick’s comments about Columbia; it just might be the first game environment to make Rapture feel bland in comparison.

Kevin Plumtree – I’ve finished the Gears of War: Judgment campaign and am now fiddling with Survival mode. I enjoyed the story for what it was and the score-based atmosphere of the campaign, but I can’t help but feel a bit let down after the epic scope of [easyazon-link asin=”B002I0H79C” locale=”us”]Gears of War 3[/easyazon-link].

Scott Baker – I finished my [easyazon-link asin=”B0050SYX8W” locale=”us”]Halo 4[/easyazon-link] run on Legendary. I would call it my favorite campaign since the original game because of the beautiful sense of discovery drawn by the pristine graphics. I really want to play it with my friends in co-op when I get the chance. I’m also building/composing/designing my own level in Sound Shapes as a project for a class. I’m lucky to have an open-minded teacher who acknowledges the creative value in it. We’ll just see if I can actually carry out my artistic vision…

Ryan Thompson – I finished Ninja Gaiden Black, and will be moving onward to a replay of the second game in anticipation of buying [easyazon-link asin=”B00BFU8IBC” locale=”us”]Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge[/easyazon-link] when it goes on sale.  On the XBLA front, I played some Marble Blast Ultra — it’s one of my favorite arcade games, and unfortunately, you can’t get it anymore.

Nathan Bowring – Got [easyazon-link asin=”B0013RATNM” locale=”us”]Just Cause 2[/easyazon-link] during the Spring Sale – a game I’ve been meaning to pick up for a long time. The storytelling and dialogue is very cringe-worthy, but the gameplay is utterly amazing. Excessive amounts of explosion, destruction, and high-speed crashes makes it feel like a playable version of the craziest action movie ever. I’ve also been continuing my adventures through the Capital Wasteland in [easyazon-link asin=”B001REZLY8″ locale=”us”]Fallout 3[/easyazon-link] while suffering major Buffout withdrawals.

Today wraps up a month of big releases. What March titles did you pick up?