If you don’t like buying into hype, perhaps this will change your mind aboutGears of War. It turns out Marcus Fenix isn’t the emotionless marine we once thought he was. The song in this video, “Mad World,” is performed by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews — it was also in Donnie Darko … Donnie Darko FTW! Doesn’t it set the mood perfectly?IfGears of Warcan look this good using only an in-game engine, I cannot wait to see what’s in store for us next year....

[Editor’s Note: We’re not just a (rad) news site — we also publish opinions/editorials from our community & employees like this one, though be aware that it may not jive with the opinions of Destructoid as a whole, or how our moms raised us. Want to post your own article in response? Publish it now on ourcommunity blogs.] Don’t fret, The HR Helper is here to make it all right! We’ve collected best practices from around the business world to help you trim the fat from your talent pool; don’t settle for sub-par performance and geeky Joss Whedon references in the break room....

This week’s edition of The Podcastle is very special, not least because it could very well be the last. We did what no podcast should ever do and actually acted upon listener feedback this week, producing a show 100% tailored to the perceived needs of our fanbase. Don’t complain about it, because you asked for it. On this week’s episode, an uptown girl lives in a white bread world as long as anyone with hot blood can....

TheToiletDuck took over 1,000 Destructoid user avatars and combined them to form various Destructoid wallpapers. There are several mosaics available and you may find different wallpaper sizes over onthe original post. Rev rants aboutFallout 3’sending,Valkyria Chroniclesmade Chad cry, Jim debuts the Peripherally Speaking peripheral reviews, 8-bit FM rocks and plenty more happened over the weekend. Destructoid Originals:Rev Rant: Fallout 3’s endingOver 1,000 avatars combined to form these Dtoid wallpapersWeekend Destructainment: Jazzercise editionHow Valkyria Chronicles made me a sobbing, emotional wreckPS3 Trophies and how they underachieveThose About to Die: PinatasBest of the Network this weekThis Week in the Community: XXXX XXX XXXXX XXGames of the week for 05/03/09: Fry and Laurie editionCommunity:Those About To Die: And you will know us by the trail of deadCommunity blogs of 05/03/09Community blogs of 05/02/09Forum of the day:X-men Origins: Wolverine (game discussion)Reviews:Peripherally Speaking: NERF Armor for DS LitePeripherally Speaking: A DS stylus that looks like YoshiPreviews:Left 4 Dead Survival Pack...

Picking the Destructoid Game of the Year was no easy task, as evidenced by the overwhelmingly varied community response toyesterday’s list of nominees. It seemed like each one of the five finalists garnered an equal amount of support: “PickMass Effect!” “Super Mario Galaxyis easily the best!” “COD4FTW!” “BioShock, hands down!” “No competition.TheOrangeBox!” This high praise is well deserved, as all of the games are destined to be classics in their own right....

Some people seem to complain that this was a rough year for videogames when compared to the glory of 2007 and the not-as-glorious, but still pretty impressive, 2008. To that, I say, “Fiddlesticks!” Sure, some of the huge releases of the year were pushed back to 2010, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a ton of great games to play in 2009! Fiddlesticks to all of you naysayers out there! FIDDLESTICKS!...

A little while ago, I wrotea rather damning appraisalof the Xbox 360’s Community Games channel, sharing my belief that nearly every game on offer was garbage. I know that there are a few actualworthytitles to be found, but sifting through the utter crap takes a lot of time and hard work. The Community Games development community took my words to heart, and there has been some discussion about what to do....

My experience with jumping intoSuper Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remixas a noobie, then moving onward toStreet Fighter IV, and finally back toSSFIITHDRhas been a relatively painless way to get the hang of things. SinceSamitand myself can’t be theonlyones still playing the XBLA/PSN title, today’s update on the pending patch should make quite a few of you happy, or possibly frustrated depending on what you hope the update will accomplish....

Fun, fast-paced music? Check. An adorable family? Check. Said adorable family playing the Wii and having way too much fun? Double check. Yes, this is a trailer for a family-oriented Wii game. No doubt about it. While Rayman is nowhere to be found, the Rabbids are still off doing their own thing.Rabbids Go Home, the latest and arguably most promising of the spin-offs, sure does look crazy. The premise of collecting garbage to reach the moon reminds me of a mix betweenKatamari DamacyandNoby Noby Boy....

We’re looking at larktenchi’s gaming setup this week! He’s got a pretty slick setup that looks very warm and cozy. I love his couches! Check out larktenchi’s setup over on hiscommunity blog. Mikeycon was filled with good times, Sam Fisher is a jerk, lots of arts were made, Anthony and Ashley are gettign married, Senor Destructoid is a super hero and holy smokes a lot has happened in the last few weeks....

So, we’ve got a strange story for you to ruminate over. There has been recent talk ofSaints Row: Drive Bybeing canceled for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Originally announced as a 3DS title, the game was supposed to be ported to digital networks too. Here’s the weird bit, though. In addition to the rumors, THQ is now denyinganythingto do withDrive By, including the 3DS version. When we asked THQ for comment on the original rumor, all we got in response was, “We are not developingSaints Row: Drive By....

WhenTony Hawk Pro Skatercame out in 1999, it featured 15 songs. WhenTony Hawk: RIDEhits stores on November 17, it will feature more than 50 songs. My, how far we’ve come. Although it’s somewhat of a rebirth for the series, theRIDEsoundtrack looks like you’d expect a Tony Hawk videogame soundtrack should look in 2009. There’s a mix of popular bands along with some stuff you’ve probably never heard of, with genres ranging from punk to hip hop, rock to funk....

I’ve been going on about it for awhile to anyone who will listen, but I really can’t wait to playCondemned 2: Bloodshot. The first game, while not perfect, was definitely a highlight of the early days with my Xbox 360. Then after seeing a live demonstration of the game last year, I was sold; everything aboutComdemnedlooks to have been tweaked and amped, including a hand-to-hand multiplayer gameplay mechanic that looks interesting....