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AndrewG009

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Gears of War 2 Gives Gamers Hollywood Pacing

 I finally finished playing Gears of War 2 and while I wait for you to pick you jaw up off the floor, allow me to fill you in on what the game left me with in the way of an overall impression. While the game felt like it had finally come into its own, Gears of War 2 gave off an air as though Epic knew what they were doing a bit better in regards to the original. Overall, I got the feeling that I was witnessing a Hollywood action film more than a video game. Not in the sense of it being a terrible licensed movie game or a piece of garbage like Jericho, but the cutscenes kept making me feel as though I was sitting twelve rows back and center at my local Cineplex watching an action flick. The dialogue, story and interactions that occur serve to reinforce this, but don’t necessarily make the gameplay mechanics suffer. But, having gotten halfway through the title when I purchased it last November and finishing it now has placed me in a position to have some educated insight.

Taking place six months after the events of the first Gears in which you personally beat General RAAM to death and dropped a lightmass bomb into the collective lap of the Locust, you discover that the Coalition of Organized Governments isn’t really better off thanks to the previous actions of Marcus and Dom. The Locust are still around and angrier than ever, sinking entire human cities into the landscape with a giant worm. So following proper logic, the COG goes on the offensive in order to preserve the last refuge of survival, Jacinto. From the second an offensive was announced, I had a feeling things wouldn’t go as planned for our heroes. After all, does it ever? Nine times out of ten it really does get worse for them before it gets better. But during the lead up to this offensive, you travel on giant mobile derricks and are engaged by literal hordes of Locust. I’m not kidding, this is an epic (excuse the pun) way of showing off the engine while giving the player something to hose their gunfire into, but it didn’t cease making me feel as though this was something I could easily see in a movie. But, the offensive stalls and after robbing the franchise of a great original character (Tai), you wind up inside the worm that has been sinking cities. After platforming through the organs of a creature that caused me to reminisce fondly of Galaxy Quest and Mega Man, the creature was slain and died in appropriate Hollywood fashion, leaving Delta Squad in need of a fairly earned shower. Not of course before Ben Carmine is killed, good riddance. One made-to-order creepy abandoned military research installation later and we continued rolling.

But after discovering that the COG experimented on creatures, I began to think that they may have created the Locust and in the back of my mind was finally relieved for a genuine plot point that would flesh out the story a bit more. I was wrong. After the installation, it is never mentioned again. But if it gives anyone any comfort whatsoever, Dom does finally find Maria. However, she is extremely traumatized and has to be put out of her misery by the love of her life. So sad. After that Gears 2 feels like a huge weight has been lifted. I knew what had happened to Maria and could run and gun thankfully through the rest. Right?

Wrong. It appears that Adam Fenix, came up with a brilliant idea to end the war with the Locust Horde by flooding the hollow. So what do we need? Another Lightmass Bomb of course. But before we can do that, we have to fight the Locust Queen’s loyal minion Skorge, who eventually escapes and chases Delta Squad back to Jacinto, which is now under full Locust attack. To finish it off, you clear the streets and drop the Lightmass bomb. Well, not before you get to ride a Brumak. This is essentially where Gears 2 takes every game mechanic that has built up throughout the entire experience so far and tosses them out the window. You stomp through the underground, laying waste to the hollow like you own the place. But, after dodging from cover to cover the whole time, this actually feels pretty rewarding until that Brumak becomes a lambent super creature, which is kind of like a Locust, but not. Think of the Lambent as the flood of the Gears of War universe and you’ll be a lot happier, I promise.

Being the super soldier the Marcus is, how does he finish off this final boss? What skill will be required of the player? You use the Hammer of Freakin’ Dawn to lay waste to the creature via orbital strikes. And then that’s it, cue up final dialogue cutscene and roll credits.

Now before everyone gets a lot more militant than they probably should, I want to say that Gears 2 wasn’t a bad game. I had fun. In fact, I wish I had finished it when it came out so I could be talking about it with other people who had just finished it. But who knows, maybe I got lucky and someone else is just now getting to it. What I am saying is that my overall qualm comes from the fact that the boss battle wasn’t what I was expecting. The real climax comes about eighty percent of the way through the game when you battle Skorge, even during the ensuing chase you shoot him down, but the closure there doesn’t feel complete. To add insult to injury, the final battle doesn’t do it the most justice either, but that’s something I've come to expect from movies more than the games I play.

And that just might be the best thing Gears could have done. They actively translated an experience I would have expected to see in a film to gameplay that I thoroughly did enjoy. Yes, the plot isn’t ground breaking and the narrative won’t be winning any awards anytime soon, but the feeling that beating Gears of War 2 gave me was identical to how I felt when I walked out of Independence Day several years ago. I felt satisfied. It was like any summer blockbuster should convey via its story: a quick, explosive and fun occurrence that feels very visceral at the time while still being pleasant to look back upon. And I think that is what Gears has left me with.

Granted, any plot points have merely raised more questions, but I’ll hold off on those until Gears of War 3 comes out. And don’t think for a second I’ll believe Cliff and Epic are making something otherwise different. Give the people what they want at the right time and no artist ever goes hungry, Infinity Ward can tell you that.

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Why Microsoft Won't Slim the 360

 The Xbox 360 has been out for quite some time and with Sony having finally released a slimmed down version of their titan-sized Playstation 3, it was only a matter of time before critics began to wonder if Microsoft would do the same. The 360 launched in the United States, Mexico and Canada on November 22, 2005 and less than a month later in Europe and Japan. Ultimately, the console would see launch in over 36 countries worldwide. The first iteration of the 360 came in two flavors, core and premium, which would eventually be replaced by the arcade and elite editions. Microsoft wanted to give their potential users choice and while options could be obtained at a certain premium, it wasn’t long before the price dropped. The premium package, initially released at $399 was the top tier price; however the current elite edition may very well soon see a price drop to $299, if not lower. Despite hardware issues, it is easily visible how there are now over 30 million consoles in the hands of gamers worldwide.

So, why not introduce a slim 360?

After all, it would be nice to have the same power in a smaller package. Really, who wouldn’t want a slim 360? A smaller memory unit could easily be attached and the whole body could be streamlined allowing for owners who have a premium in regards to space could easily be comfortably owning an Xbox 360 that is half the size of its current incarnation.

Except there is a problem with the fact that there  are over 30 million consoles in the wild right now, nestled in entertainment centers, shelves and standing proudly on desks ready to be played at a moments notice. With so many consoles out, and Microsoft having fazed out the pro edition of the console in favor of the arcade and elite, why would they invest in technology to slim down a console that is still selling? The Elite, which was once the highest end 360 to come into existence has since become the standard. By doing this, Microsoft has essentially told new customers that by adopting into the gaming experience that they have to offer, gamers will get the best product they have to offer for a minimal one-time premium. Combine that with the fact that there are currently 478 backwards compatible Xbox titles, including classics like Halo, Black, Knights of the Old Republic, Phantom Crash and Psychonauts among the already huge library of Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade titles and that’s enough to keep anyone filling there Gamerscore forever.

Simply said, when you have a good piece of hardware that works it becomes easier to focus on what makes that equipment great and that’s the software and network infrastructure. Daunting flagship franchises such as Halo, Gears of War, Mass Effect, and Fable have all been able to move systems. Microsoft is at its very heart a software company. They’ve been writing it since before many of the current Xbox 360 players, including myself, were born. As a business, they know what they’re doing via the focus they have place on the competitive price cuts to keep them on the cutting edge and stay just a step ahead of their competitors in certain areas of the industry. Thus at the end of the day, what a slim 360 becomes is an answer to a question Microsoft doesn’t especially need to be answering right now.

This piece was originally written for PlanetXbox360.com where you can read other jumbles of words that may seem coherent and possibly written by me.

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Review: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising



War is Hell, or so we would believe having played through various iterations of Call of Duty, but Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising would have us believe it isn't so hellish. Taking place on a fictional resource-rich island that just happens to be perfectly situated enough between China and Russia for conflict to erupt eventually draws the United States in as well. The perennial sequel to Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, the game places a significant emphasis on realism as opposed to titles like Modern Warfare 2. To be sure, there are definite successes to be had by playing the card to offer the exemplary realistic combat experience. On the other hand, there are vastly convoluted moments that I saw during my playthrough that ruined the game for me on multiple levels. While I can appreciate an attempt to make a compelling gaming experience for players interested in the tactical shooter genre, I wound up having more than a few gripes to share.


Prior to release of the game, I was really excited for Dragon Rising. I sincerely was expectant for cooperative play with up to four players, the giant island that was freely rendered and the madness of the combat that would surely occur. Suffice to say, there were some impressive qualities to the game. I enjoyed the combat chatter and the expanding narrative as operations on Skira went from covert operations to full-fledged assault. In the same vein, I enjoyed sifting between filling the boots of various soldiers, but never developed any real attachment to any of them. Additionally, there was a significant amount of potential here that seemed to fall short once the glaring factor of realism entered the equation.

In combat, you need fire team members who are not only competent enough to locate, close with and destroy the enemy, but also have the wherewithal to survive and make it to the end of the day. Operation Flashpoint not only seems to flounder in this department, but fail in it entirely. To add insult to injury, the game is build from the ground up to make you feel like just another soldier and is thus reflected in that realism, but when it prevents the player from having any real fun due to having to babysit AI squadmates, it becomes an exercise in frustration. On more than one occasion, I had to reload multiple times from the same point because my entire squad would get mowed down by a roving jeep, helicopter or AFV. Needless to say, the AI began to test my patience and soundproof ability of my walls as I found myself uttering various curse laden litanies. If I didn't have command of a squad of AI Marines, it wouldn't necessarily be an issue, but when the blatant failing of programming on what is a pivotal aspect of the gameplay experience shines through like headlights on semi moments before you're flattened into the road, it then becomes a significant problem. For a game that touts itself so heavily on realism though, this wasn't the only inadequacy.

The controls more often than not felt sluggish and unresponsive than I've come to expect on a console title. I suppose in some hindsight, Modern Warfare 2 has spoiled me to a certain degree, but when a game gives me what I want and makes me feel more comfortable than a leather chair it becomes difficult to justify control design such as this. The button lay-out feels ridiculous at times and while I can applaud the sheer amount of actions you can take in the title, the only one I consistently found myself wanting to do was to call in an Air or Howitzer Strike on just about any target I came across. The sound design is spot-on and the weapons truly do sound authentic, but other than that they're somewhat forgettable.

Graphically speaking, I found myself feeling unimpressed and again, this could be because games like Modern Warfare 2 and ODST have made me feel like this is what I should expect. But, I was surprised to discover that Operation Flashpoint, while not looking perfect, the graphics turned out to be the least of the problems in this title. Furthermore, loading screens taking a great deal longer than I'm used to added to the frustration that OF:DR wrought haplessly upon me.


Despite all the excitement I initially felt for the title, it was stripped away with every second of play. Eventually, I was getting to the point of cursing and throwing an innocent 360 controller than had done nothing except be in the wrong set of hands, playing the wrong game, at the wrong time. While I'm a fan of simulation titles, having grown up playing games like Flight Simulator or even Steel Battalion, I found the realistic qualities of Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising to be the factor that held it back the most. Sure, it's a cool idea that I have to bandage myself every single time I get hit, but when I'm turned into Swiss Cheese, bullets are flying and when I have to try and heal my own squadmates, it gets a little frustrating. As close to being completely real as any player who is interested in this genre could want it to be, this strikes me as being the greatest barrier to the game being a truly compelling experience since it sucks the fun out of the title for the rest of us.

Grade: C (7.0 / 10)
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First Thoughts - And Yet It Moves


   


So, I was on Penny Arcade the other day as I usually am when I stumbled on 'And Yet It Moves'. I checked out the trailer and decided to give the demo a go and sure enough I was hooked. AYIM has all the qualities of a standard fair platformer, but with one good solid twist that mixes up the gameplay in an very fantastic fashion. If someone had told me years ago that I would ever be raving about a game where the twist is merely having the ability to turn the screen 90 degrees, I would've laughed in their faces. But sure enough, I'm genuinely impressed with what I've seen in the demo. On top of it, the game weighs in at a measly $10 bucks, so it's not like it'll hit the wallet too hard during this season of giving.
 
No Caption Provided
 

With the ever endless stream of new games coming out and the ability to have access to such a plethora of various titles, it is easy for gamers (and reviewers) to get overwhelmed in the tidal wave, especially during the holiday season. However, after playing through the demo a few times and feeling a relatively relaxed pacing in the game, it struck me that in it's uniqueness is a very satisfying puzzle mechanic that I find incredibly intriguing.

Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to downloading this one and putting it through it's paces. In the hectic turmoil of the Christmas holiday, this just might be the perfect remedy for crashing into my chair at night for an hour or so to wind down after a long day.
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First Thoughts - Continuity


 
There are some pretty incredible flash games coming out now that illustrate a creativity that we as a gaming community wouldn't otherwise be privy to since the amount of independent game developers making it to one of the major consoles or handhelds is a bit limited still. Granted, there has been a far greater influx thanks to outlets such as Xbox Live, Playstation Network, Wiiware, DSiware, etc. But, the demonstrated capabilities of flash is still impressive. Bearing that in mind, I want to talk about Continuity. A work in progress flash title from four students hoping to enter the game into the IGF 2010 Student Competition, Continuity stands up exceptionally well, even when keeping predecessor puzzle titles such as N+ in mind.  

 
Starting from a prospective of a slide puzzle, you are tasked with shifting the various tiles around a given space so that the areas match up. Upon pressing the space bar, your perspective zooms in to give you direct control of a stick person trapped in these boxes who needs to gain possession of a key before going through an appropriately colored door. The intriguing factor lies in the fact that the boxes continually remain static, allowing you to zoom in and out, shifting the boxes continuously to gain the best possible advantage. Having never seen puzzle, platforming and addictive music meet in such a synergistic capacity as far as flash is concerned, I'm really excited to see how this game develops over time as progress is made on the entry. 
 
To check out Continuity, click here. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are the recommended browsers.
 
 --Andrew
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Nintendo Dpad Shutting Down - UPDATE

  In a post today, it was revealed that Nintendo DPad, probably one of the best independently operated blogs covering Nintendo news will be shutting down. In what I can imagine is the final post, there was a definite feeling of fond farewell, but not without a bit of complaining:

"Most sites are doing what they do for hits, which in turn bring up your Alexa rank, and in turn collect more money from ad firms. It is easy to write or publish flame bait whether that be a sales age article, review scores, or trying to make 50 stories out of every sentence an employee at Nintendo says.

Not only are gaming blogs corrupt though, the actual industry is as well. When I first started posting stories, I subscribed to gaming magazines, bought all the biggest games to talk about, and did all these things without any ad money. I did this so the reader could benefit. Funny thing though, outside of WiiWare devs, which are great to talk to, none of the bigger companies will respond to you. This industry used to be about gamers, but now it is about money, and releasing tactical info about a game at exact dates to increase hype. And unless your a bigger site, they don’t hear your voice, or even respond."
I have to say that I agree with a lot of the complaints, but for the full Monty, I suggest you check out the post itself here and get an eye full of it yourself. Simply said, this was a fine blog and it's a shame to see it go away. But the points raised shouldn't be lost upon the reader.

Good luck wherever you may land.

--Andrew
 
Update: The site has since gone down, however the comment thread on N4G has developed in a very interesting way.
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Review - Fallout 3

 Since Fallout 3 has been out for a while and I’ve had ample time to reflect upon my feelings of the game. I thought it was time I finally published a full on review for it.

The memorable Fallout 3 introductory cinematic paints a grim portrait for the apocalyptic future the player is intended to investigate. The gritty, “War never changes” preface, which has since long ago become a Fallout staple conveys the significance to the player that they are not being thrust into a gracious world, but a universe that, given the chance, is always trying to kill them. Opening with the birth of the player-controller character in Vault 101 the game immediately sets the player to work customizing the character. As you grow older, you are introduced to other residents of the Vault prior to your father escaping, which inevitably spurs your character to desire departing as well to endeavor into the Capital Wasteland. A main quest line, side quests as well as unmarked or repeatable quests see to it that the player will be significantly busy for sometime. Moreover, the player can leave the main quest at any given time and pursue alternate objectives, leaving a vast, open world that invites exploration. While the narrative of the main quest is strong enough to stand on its own, the side quests do at times feel arduous. However, during the course of exploring I noticed I was completing objectives for quests I had not even accepted yet. The main mission remained solid throughout and several of the side quests were enough of a pleasure that the prospect of downloadable content to expand upon Fallout 3 even further is enticing enough to aspire for playing through the title a second time.

The introduction level of the title, being in Vault 101 was remarkably well done by Bethesda. Allocating points to various traits by reading a children’s book, telling the player how special they are or taking a test to determine what job they’re destined for in the vault are just a couple of ways the immersion takes hold. Additionally, starting the game through the eyes of a child, whose birth causes your mother to lose her life and being raised by your father James (Impeccably voiced by Liam Neeson), impresses a connection to the character. As you grow up and are given the chance to wander the vault, the sterile environment feels both eerie and welcoming at the same time. However, this is before the player has ever set foot in the wasteland. Eventually, James makes his escape for reasons unknown and when the answers you receive are not enough, you leave as well. Prior to doing so, the game affords the player one final opportunity to change any specification about their character before opening the door leading into the bright, hostile world. As the player takes their first steps into the world, the pivotal moment is defined by the characters eyes seeing sunlight for the first time as the player’s screen fills with lens flare. Checking your Pip-Boy 3000, you realize as a player that you really have no idea where to go, and ultimately head towards the first settlement you see.

Upon entering Megaton, you’re faced with the opportunity to experience the first of many relative moral choices. Ambiguous or not, you are either tasked with destroying the city via the unexploded atomic weapon at the center of town, disarming it or simply ignoring it. Each choice sways the karmic standing of the player’s character towards the good, neutral or bad. Karma, in essence, relates what kind of person you are to the rest of the world and serving as a prime factor in whether you can activate certain perks, group with certain followers or how certain wastelanders acknowledge your presence. Furthermore, karma choices ultimately are illustrated during the final cutscene and contribute towards what ending the player obtains. While at times, it may seem beneficial to lean towards moral ambiguity, sometimes it’s just better to play through and be the good guy.

Moving from Megaton to Rivet City, and on to Arefu and The Brotherhood of Steel Citadel built inside what remains of the Pentagon, the entirety of the Capital Wasteland is worth exploring. Before I do that though, I will caution that this title is not for everyone, and I’ve stated that before. However, Bethesda is notorious for being adaptable at creating immersive games that have overall been fun to play and Fallout 3 is no exception. While taking the reins of the Fallout series, there have been mixed feelings in regards to the reception. Where Fallout was traditionally a dungeon crawler series, Fallout 3 has taken a page out of Oblivion and it shows. Being able to play the game from first or third person in addition to being able to shoot in either V.A.T.S utilizing action points or shooting without any assistance and hoping for the best, this is just scratching the surface. What really kept me playing though were the various narratives. The main quest was interesting, however, the side quests kept me coming back for more as they took a life of their own, giving the game a distinct Pulp Fiction feeling as all the stories in one way or another tie together giving way to a satisfying conclusion. But with the massive amount of downloadable content made available by Bethesda, the game doesn’t end there. Five different episodes, each capable of four to five hours of additional gameplay see to it that Fallout 3 maintains its longevity and keeps the players who really love the game coming back. Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta all offer up a different unique flavor relative to the universe in which they exist, and I can’t wait to explore them.

Ultimately though, as with any game, what it boils down to is whether or not the title was fun. I can assure you, that the game was fun and at times you’ll forget why because you are having so much fun. Ideally, it’s the exploration, combat and narrative that at the very basic level continued to intrigue me throughout the entire title, never making me feel like any of my fifty hours of gameplay were being wasted. The controls were tight and solid as I only found myself very occasionally fumbling with the controller enough where I would be forced to reload a save as a result of my error. The graphics are spot on, with very minute glitching, also easily fixed by loading a save. Sounds were ambient and created an atmosphere that put me in the Capital Wasteland and didn’t let go, while the overall playability offered a title that would welcome many gamers, but would be slightly off putting to any newcomers to the genre. Finally, with the ability to play through the game as good, evil and neutral and still not having explored every single location on my Pip Boy’s world map, I’m convinced that Fallout 3’s replay value is assured.

In the meantime, I would suggest anyone curious to checking out the original Fallout and Fallout 2 and see just how interesting these predecessors are in addition to the current iteration because while “War never changes”, exceptional games do to adapt to the times and I’m satisfied to keep Fallout 3 in my collection for a very long time to come.

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Section 8 Demo Impression

 So Section 8 is coming out tomorrow and after playing the demo a few times I have some thoughts I would like to share. To kick things off, it is one of those multiplayer titles that feels like Unreal Tournament or Team Fortress. Actually, to be honest, it feels a bit like the two of them had a twisted screaming child together, had it taken away from them by birth and raised by Robert Heinlein who actively encouraged it to play with others. I think that sums it up relatively well. Granted, it was only a demo, but there were several things the little slice of the game did really great and a piece or two that felt like a spoiled pumpkin pie to the stomach.

Enough of these food allegories though, let's get down to business.

Section 8 takes place several hundred years in the future where mankind has set out to colonize the stars. However, when one of those planets rebel in the form of the Arm of Orion, mankind once again sets out from Earth to kick ass and take names. Deriving their name from the old US Army term for soldiers who are mentally unfit for duty due to the reasoning that they are essentially crazy, Section 8 gives off the same vibe at times, but it never feels like madness in the Eternal Darkness kind of way. And that's good, because it isn't what I want. Once the main cinematic rolls and the title screen appears, you're given the choice for a few options. You can begin an instant action round, which much like Unreal Tournament throws you into a match with bots, and you can literally jump right into combat. Corde's Story follows Alex Corde, a member of Section 8. Story mode sounds like it will basically be a series of Instant Actions that have cinematics spliced between levels in which you've kicked sufficient amounts of ass and taken the amount of names deemed necessary by your commanding officer. Finally, you can take the game online for some carnage against something that is being controlled by a player with a pulse. Multiple gameplay options and maps, many of which were unavailable in the demo only serve to drive my curiousity forward.

Once you've chosen a gameplay mode, be it instant action, online or story, you're presented with a screen that allows you to choose a loadout. This is where the Team Fortress feeling came into play because there are multiple character classes, none of which will feel daunting to anyone who has played a team-centric shooter in the past. There is standard Infantry, Engineer, Guardian, which functions in the same manner as heavy support, Medic, Recon, etc and each of these can have their individual loadouts modified. Therefore, no matter what class you want to play as they can customized and tailored to your particular style of play before dropping into the combat zone, which I confess is one of the coolest spawn features I have ever seen in a video game.

Prior to spawning, you will be presented with a map of the currently engaged combat area. There are red icons, signifying the enemy, as well as blue icons, which identify allies. Additionally, there are blue and red circles on the map that extend a certain radius from the bases that are currently in control of whichever side, these are the range of the AA guns. Now, dropping from the sky is hazardous enough, but when Anti-air guns come into play, it become particularly dicey. Should you choose to drop in range of AA guns, you can make it to the ground, however you're shields and possibly armor will have suffered damage and you'll have little to no breaking time before you hit the ground if you want to survive, making you easy pickings for any opponents defending their base. This won't always work though and should you drop too deep into AA gun range, you'll be getting ready to respawn even before you hit the ground. But as I said, this single unique play mechanic may be the deciding factor in what drives me to pick up Section 8.

Once on the ground, there are various locations on the map as well as different objectives that can be activated at any time. There are computer centers from which players can hack their way into controlling a facility, and taking a note from several multiplayer titles, the more players in the vicinity the faster it seems to come under the assaulting teams control. There are armories and indoor areas, but these merely serve to change up the scenery and don't really give the map I was able to play any further life. As far as objectives, there are convoys, intel and vip missions that occur at random times on the map all within the same game round, so it is always changing up. This felt confusing at first, but the more I listened to the in-game announcements, the easier it got to know when they would occur. Moreover, the combat felt very fluid and really didn't feel clunky, but it did take some getting used to at first.

After all, any title, especially shooters have a slight learning curve. Section 8 has a curve, but it didn't take that long to get the hang of it. The shooting feels a bit odd at first, but zooming in and even locking on become second nature after a round or so. Melee feels smooth as does the ability to go into a dead run before activating jump jets to do some shooting mid-air. While I was initially cynical that this would merely be a game wrapped around the sole gimmick of the drop, having grown up reading Starship Troopers, I was happy to see that wasn't the case. Overall, this does feel above average as a shooter, but I am loathe to admit that without playing against other people it could grow repetitive.

Ultimately, as with other titles, it is the little things that set them apart. Team Fortress had the team dynamic. Every class supporting the other created a stronger whole and won games, which is what make TF so much damn fun to play even to this day. Unreal Tournament is frantic arena combat that keeps on going until the score limit is reached. I would like to think that combined with the drop spawn, this could very well serve as a potential best of both worlds. However, only time and the final product, which I decided part of the way through this to follow through on and pick up. Here's hoping fortune favors innovation.

--Andrew
now how do i land on someone and kill them.

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Top 10 Xbox Games You Can Play on 360

 

Be it backwards compatibility or stuffed somewhere in the Games on Demand service via Xbox Live, these are titles that shouldn’t be missed, regardless of being on the Xbox or not. So, sit back, relax and get ready for a brief lesson in what exactly a classic is and why you should spend some hard earned points and time investing in them. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

10. Manhunt - Carcer City was a terrible place as it was, throw waking up there with “The Director” in your head and being tasked with snuffing out the hunters before they get you, and that just made it a downright nightmare. Coined as a third-person stealth action title, Manhunt allowed you to do what Solid Snake couldn’t, snuff people out in some of the most gruesome ways possible. Visceral in its design and utterly terrifying for the main character, a former-death row prison inmate trying to rescue his family, the game is easily discernible as a Rockstar title. Increasingly immersive was the ability for gamers to distract those hunting the main character by speaking into the Xbox microphone on the headset, effectively reminding players to pause before sneezing. Despite being somewhat eclipsed by the unwarranted controversy its sequel garnered, Manhunt is still immeasurably fun to play and shouldn’t be missed.

9. Mortal Kombat: Deception - The last great Mortal Kombat title before Midway truly started going downhill; Deception distinguished itself in the realm of replayability as few of its predecessors could ever hope to do so. Konquest mode, which follows the quest of Shujinko, gave an epic feel to the entire Mortal Kombat universe. While it was criticized for poor voice acting, the overall action and fleshed out storyline of Konquest gave single players an alternate option from Arcade Mode. Furthermore praised by several publications for its tight controls and concise stringing of combos together, Deception easily captured several “best fighting game” awards. In addition to amount of playable characters and the ability to select between various fighting styles made the game really damn fun and in comparison to some later iteration of the series, still stands up very well.

8. Jet Set Radio Future (JSRF) - Some years ago there was a game called Jet Grind Radio on the Dreamcast and this is as close as you’re ever going to get to it if you want to play it on a 360. Set in a future where free expression has been outlawed, playing as a skater who goes around town tagging, tripping up guards and generally causing mayhem is a lot more fun than I originally thought it could be. But it is, and it really doesn’t get old, even after the credits roll. The music is great, the art style is spectacular and the gameplay is something that I could put next to Tony Hawk’s Ride and still walk away playing JSRF.

7. Panzer Dragoon Orta - Panzer Dragoon was always an amazing series and regardless of the nostalgia factor in its favor, any self-respecting gamer has to play this game at least once. One of the best rail shooters I have ever played, the game follows Orta, a young girl who rides a dragon that can fire homing missile. Yes, the dragon can fire homing missiles. It can be expounded upon, but the basics are now covered. The mechanics are well done, allowing players to shoot to their hearts content, boss battles make the player feel a bit cramped but are overall well done. Received relatively well, there is no reason why this game should be forgotten.

6. Fable - While not the title that Peter Molyneux promised it would be, the game is still of great quality in its own right and now with Fable III on the horizon it would be interesting to go back and see where it all started. Stepping into the boots of an orphan rescued by a hero after your village is destroyed by bandits it’s clear to see that Fable doesn’t have the most original of introductions. However, what it does possess are some amazing moments and a really great time. The karma system for good and evil doesn’t exactly leave too much wiggle room on the moral gray areas, but the gameplay fills in the blanks pretty appropriates. More often than not I wasn’t concerned with being nice or not, just how many things I could kill with my lighting at once.

5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - More than just another Star Wars game, Bioware took this role-playing game and made something special out of it. Taking place 4,000 years before any of the events that have situated themselves into our pop culture in regards to Star Wars, you play a character who starts the game waking up on a Republic ship amidst a Sith attack. If this isn’t enough you get to add people to your party as you progress and the branching dialogue trees, which helped sway your alignment between light and dark, were pretty well done for the time. Combined with incredible storytelling and chained to the Star Wars universe in the best way possible, short of not enjoying rpgs, this game is vastly difficult to not enjoy.

4. Phantom Crash - Easily overshadowed by Mechassault, which unfortunately isn’t backwards compatible or available via Xbox Live, Phantom Crash was still exceptional in its own right. Comparable to a Forza except with mechs and instead of being like Armored Core was actually fun, there was little that couldn’t be had in Phantom Crash. Able to assume views from 3rd or 1st person were incredible given the detail and everything to be seen in game. The combat was fast while still satisfying along with the customization that shined in comparison to other titles at the time. Genki hit a home run with this title and I sincerely wish they would do a next-gen version.

3. Psychonauts - Nothing I can really say will do this game the justice it deserves. Tim Schafer knows how to make a fun video game. This will probably sum it up.

2. Crimson Skies - What if the United States not coming out of the Great Depression caused something really cool to occur, like say, the rise of sky pirates? Not just regular pirates, but freakin’ sky pirates. Crimson Skies pretty much nailed what a fun flight experience should be. Flying through missions, being able to land and man gun turrets on the fly, causes this game to be my number two selection if for no other reason than being one of the greatest lengths of fun I have ever had clutching an Xbox controller. Still in my collection to this day, I’ll occasionally find myself playing through the single player again at some dead hour of the evening. The storyline is something I would expect to coincide with Indiana Jones, the voice acting is spot on and the game mechanics are some of the most solid I have ever encountered. If FASA had been more spot on, they may have very well been able to collapse the universe in fun.

1. Halo / Halo 2 - Once upon a time there was a small company in Chicago named Bungie. They made a game that was so amazing that Microsoft bought them, moved them to Redmond and eventually constructed them as the main support structure of their entire Xbox experience. While Halo felt, at times, repetitive and was by no means perfect, it single-handedly gave Microsoft the legs to stand and fight in the console wars. Halo 2 added the multiplayer aspect, unforgettable and capable of staying power, even today years after even its sequel has released. But let’s face it; Bungie owed us an ending after Halo 2. Ultimately, being of the mind that there are no perfect games, there are few competitors to the paramount these two games are combined.

Bonus Round – The game Microsoft should port: Mechassault - Anyone who has played it will never forget it. Mechassault was the quintessential Xbox Live title. Yes, eventually Halo 2 would seize that spot and remain fixed as the Xbox Live game to play, but when Live was young and there weren’t as many games as there are now, you could always find a quick match in Mechassault. And yes, they were matter of the quick and dead. You either knew what you were doing or you didn’t and the single-player, while fun, was an introduction to give the player the skills to survive on live. Dear Microsoft, if you can hear me, bring this game over to Games on Demand. It wouldn’t be that difficult and I guarantee there is at least one person who would buy it.

--Andrew

i miss that huge controller

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