If The Divine Comedy had a baby with a Mexican telenovela (soap opera), the result would probably be Shadows of the Damned. You don’t normally see such ridiculous, self-aware camp from Japanese games, so one can only imagine the kind of unorthodox childhoods the developers might have had. Perhaps they were forced to watch Mexican novelas.

Video Blips:

• Every time I see footage of Shadows of the Damned, I become a little more intrigued by it. It’s pretty difficult to not be interested in a game that features a gun called the “Big Boner” and a protagonist that uses the word “pendejo.” It seems like someone has been stealing my ideas, damn it.

After the break, explore Kratos’s beginning with the God of War: Origins Collection, continue your civic duty with the L.A. Noire Nicholson Electroplating DLC, and meet the new heroes in The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.

• Kratos isn’t exactly what I’d call “ideal company,” so I’m not so sure I want to know what makes him go ballistic in God of War: Origins Collection. I’m not certain, but I’m pretty sure that my first instinct when seeing a man like Kratos would be to turn around and run in the other direction. And adopt a religion...any religion.

• With the L.A. Noire Nicholson Electroplating DLC, it’s no mistake to say that a detective’ss work is never finished. Protagonist Cole Phelps is a little too straight-laced for my taste. I relate more to his gruff, alcoholic colleagues that complement his character so well.

• The Lord of the Rings: War in the North seems to be faithfully adding to the already-epic franchise that geeks and troglodytes love. One thing I’ve noticed is that everything has character in the world of Middle Earth, even trees and birds. I can only assume rocks have the power of speech as well.