Archive for the ‘XBox 360’ Category

Conflict: Denied Ops (Xbox 360)

Conflict: Denied Ops are a coming FPS to Xbox 360. The game can remind us a little bit about Call of Duty 4 but it won’t come close to it though. The main hook in Denied Ops seems to be character switching; each level employs a two-man squad, with a sniper and a heavy gunner whom you can switch between on the fly as the situation warrants. If you go in small places it is best to be a gunner but a open wide spaces you should really go for the sniper. You can also upgrade you weapons with different parts or simply get new weapons.

The squad commander role is not as easy as you think you will probably have problems getting the characters to do what you want. The game will probably be out this month and I really hope they manage to fix some bugs first. It can be very hard to aim because the buttons are so sensitive even if you just press them a little bit you will turn around 360 degree’s. The game got some promising features also like a good story and great graphics overall. I will be very excited to see how this game will do when it hits the open market.

Grand Theft Auto – San Adreas

Grand Theft Auto-San Adreas is a 3D video game which was launched in 2004 by Rockstar North, initially to be played in PlayStation2 versions, but now is available in Xbox variants as well and has sold about 14 million copies worldwide. It is an action packed adventure series revolving around the lead character CJ or Carl Johnson who is an African American and member of a gang and it is the user who controls the actions of CJ in course of the game. The game revolves around his journey in unfolding the mysterious death of his mother. This is the main crux of the plot and several other minor incidents like gang wars, action chases add on to the total effect of the game. The city of San Adreas which is no less than a character in this game is a fictional city located somewhere between California and Nevada and apart from this central location, the storyline also takes the players to three other cities like the imaginary San Fierro based on real life San Francisco, Las Venturas and its adjoining desert region modeled on the city of Las Vegas and its adjoining Nevada desert regions and finally the illusionary city of Los Santos based on the city of Los Angeles.

It should be noted here that many characters belonging to the other Grand Theft Auto series of games also feature in this version, like some members of CJ’s gang, Claude and Catalina. This game has also introduced several innovations, unseen in the previous versions. These include the use of around two hundred vehicles, fire arms and greater fire power. With time, the game has turned more realistic and it now allows multi player facility by means of which two players can co operate and play together.

However, Grand Auto Theft-San Adreas has often been in the news for the wrong reasons and ha been removed from the market in some cases because of its alleged adult content.

The Sims refers to a premier video game series which was initially released to be played in PlayStation but is also available now in Xbox variants. It is more of a strategy based game designed by Will Wright consisting of 2D and 3D graphics and it gives an account of the diurnal activities of a group of virtual people called ‘Sims’ in course of living their lives in SimCity. Awarded as the best computer game in the year 2000 by GameSpot, The Sims has been emulated and reproduced in the form of compilations and sequels like The Sims 2 and upon its inception, it is estimated to have sold a whopping amount of around 16 million copies, thus entering into the pages of history as the best selling game ever.

In order to enlighten eth prospective players about this game, it is necessary to refer to the phrase which its creator Will Wright had rightfully commented once that it is a ‘digital dollhouse’. This is quite true as unlike the various computer games which are goal oriented and has definite missions, this game is on a different plane, dealing entirely with the life and times of the inhabitants of the fictional city called SimCity. The characters are already designed and the player usually has the control over the members of a family, consisting at the most eight individuals and his aim is to help the Sim attain his personal objectives. The game is definitely a way of testing the intelligence, presence of mind and strategic abilities of the player in case of similar real life situations. A notable innovation in the game is the language of the Sims which is known as Simlish language. The game does not provide translations into English and in many instances it has been noticed that the players themselves have indulged in re-interpreting the language and thus create dictionaries of their own to refer when needed.

Madden NFL07

Various video games have been launched modeled on the popular sports and the Madden NFL07 is the latest version of the very famous Madden NFL series replicating American soccer matches. The Madden NFL 07 is supported by the Xbox 360gaming console and it has been the first of the Madden series to make its appearance on the Wii and PlayStation3 consoles. The latest version has got certain new additional features. These include the use of jukes and spins, two for each by the players to deal with their rivals, use of highlight sticks, FreeMotion controls and Hikes, Runningback, Quarter Back, Kicker or Punter and Wide Receiver which are available on the Wii versions and can be used in accordance with the Wii Remote. The Lead Block Control is also a latest inclusion which aids the players to sweep past their unpleasant rivals at the time of positioning only. A huge variety of musicians have lent their voice and musical prowess to add to the effects of the game.

Since its inception and arrival in the world market, Madden NFL 07 has earned immense popularity and awards. In august 2006, it was adjudged BB& B’s Sports Game of the year. In the G4 television series X-Play it was again awarded as the Best Sporting Game of 2006. The Spike TV Guy’s Choice Awards, it won accolades for being the Game with the most Game. Moreover, Madden NFL 07’s Wii version was announced as the Best New Control Scheme and the Best Traditional Sports Game of 2006. This award was further facilitated by the exquisite new technical tools like the Wii remote which allowed various upgraded techniques like FreeMotion controls, hikes etc to be introduced as part of the game. So the Wii gaming console too here has a substantial role to play.

The acronym F.E.A.R. is the abbreviated form of the popular 2005 shooter game which is known as First Encounter Assault Recon. It is supported by the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles and it is played from the first person point of view. It is to be noted that prior to its release F.E.A.R. was immensely hyped and once introduced it was greatly appreciated by critics and players alike. In fact it has been Game of the Year by GameSpy. One of the reasons that may have contributed to the popularity of the game is the kind of graphics used like lightmapping, volumetric lighting, normal mapping, shaders and parallax mapping which are components of the Jupiter EX which is the major engine technology used in the game.

The central conflict of the game is between a special intelligence force lead by its front man who is known as Point Man and whose only aim is counterattack the various supernatural forces at work by means of his ability of being able to withstand those attacks. In terms of gameplay, a significant opportunity arrives when the game’s virtual world is slowed down in terms of speed and the player is allowed to commute in normal speed. This is known as ‘reflex time’. There are several weapons which are used in this game like guns and pistols and other firearms and at the same time, there are also certain illusory weapons which are used for example, the particle beam weapons.

First Encounter Assault Recon also allows multiplayer playing and these multiplayer versions were renamed and released in 2006 as F.E.A.R. Combat. Both the PlayStation3 and Xbox versions allow online multiplayer playing facility. The entire thematic is aided by the spooky and ghostly settings of the game.

However there is no denying the fact that while both the Xbox and PlayStation 3 versions have garnered encouraging reception, they have not been able to overcome F.E.A.R.‘s popularity as a PC game.

One of the most popular video game of all times would be Halo 3 which is a part of the Halo series and the sequel to Halo 2 and it was designed particularly for the Xbox 360 gaming console. In fact in the very first day when it was launched, Halo 3 managed to garner a whopping amount of around US$ 170 million within a period of twenty four hours. For this certain amount of credit should also be reserved for the marketing professionals who conceptualized certain techniques like excerpts from the original game in order to saturate enormous hype prior to its release. Halo 3 has been rated highly by all the premier publications like Metacritic, GameSpy, IGN etc.

This story of this first person shooter game revolves around the interplanetary conflict between the alien species known as the Covenants and the mortals headed by the United Nations Space command. The setting is the 26th century and the purpose of the game is to protect the Earth from the aliens. The player assumes the role of the Master Chief who is ably assisted by Mariners and also a group known as Covenant Elites who in their turn are lead by the Arbiter.

There are several innovations with reference to the weapons used in Halo 3 when compared against its predecessors. These include ‘support weapons’ like flamethrowers and machine gun turrets. There were also certain other arms used which have definite functions like the Radar Jammer which is used to obstruct the enemy’s power of vision, Trip Mines and Power Drainers for causing harm or even killing. The various vehicles which constitute the game are also technically superior and some are A-I controlled while majority can be operated by the player himself. There is also a concept called the ‘meta-game’ in which the players earn points by overcoming their opposition with the swift use of strategy and physical strength and the more novel the means, the more points he scores.

Gears of War

Regarded as one of the best selling video games of 2006, Gears of War was developed by Epic Games and designed for the Xbox 360 gaming console. It is a third person shooter game and has since its inception, won series of accolades from various corners for its animation qualities and graphics technology. In fact it has accumulated innumerable awards in its kitty including the Xbox 360 game of the year, Best Graphics Technology, Best Action Game, Best Multi Player Game, Best Shooter, from various sources like Gamefly, IGN, GameSpot etc. in fact many critics have even gone to the extent of referring to it as the next big thing to have hit the gaming world after the super successful Halo 3.

The primary purpose of the player in the game is to rescue the inhabitants of an imaginary planet named Sera who have been invaded in by some unfathomable and constant enemy known as Locust Horde. The protectors here are the soldiers of Delta Squad who have vouched to protect the humans trapped in Sera in the face of this invasion. The player assumes the role of an erstwhile prisoner and hardy soldier named Marcus Fenix and in multiplayer versions he is ably supported by his associate Dominic Santiago. The two other supporting characters include August Cole and Damon Baird.

Gears of War is a game which allows very few options when it comes to protecting or combating with the use of multifarious weapons and thus the players have to face the conflict with efficient use of tactics and strategy. The various arms and armaments used include pistols, rifles, shotguns, assault rifles etc. The most powerful of all is known as the Hammer of Dawn and it has the capability of assassinating the player as well as his associates and counterparts. There are four major modes in the game-warzone, execution, assassination and annex. Gears of War have been a hugely successful series and a sequel is in the offing.

Review of Doom 3 PC and xBox

Doom 3 compatible to the Xbox 360 versions is a first person shooter game and was introduced in 2004 by id Software. This game having elements of horror and science fiction thronged together attained the position of being one of the most famed of the computer games in the year 2004. it was widely appreciated by gamers and critics and it also won a series of awards like the one for Best Graphics(Technical category) awarded by GamesSpot and also the E3 2002 Game Critics Award for the Best Action Game, Best PC Game and also received special recognition for its for its sound quality and advanced graphical tools deployed. It is significant to mention here that this game, though named Doom 3 is not a sequel of the previous Doom series and is a repackaged version of it.

The game is set in an advanced time period, in 2145, and the premise of the setting is in the planet Mars at the Union Aerospace Corporation, also known as the UAC. The central role here is played by a marine whose actions are controlled by the player and his mission is to combat with unidentified demons and it is in course of his bid to survive this onslaught that the ominous designs of the villainous character DR, Malcolm Betruger is revealed to this marine.

This game is characterized by its linear architecture and the player does not have the power to hide but can only leap or squat accordingly to save his own life. The kinds of weapons used in this game include various forms of guns like the plasma guns, pistols and hand grenades among many others. There is also a special armament called the Soul Cube which is a construct of the aliens. The flashlight is the dominant lighting technique used in the game. This game allows multi paler gaming.

On the negative side, it has been critiqued for its non-innovative scripting and slow movement of the players, among others factors.

Project Gotham Racing 3

Project Gotham Racing 3 is a racing game and it was released simultaneously with the Xbox 360 version in the United States of America in 2005 and evidently as the name suggests, it is a part of the Project Gotham Racing series. The Official Xbox Magazine rated this game, also referred to as PGR3 as the Xbox 360 Game of the Year in 2005. It is also included as part of the World Cyber Games and Championship Gaming Series.

This game features various as many as eighty authorized vehicles by manufacturers like Dodge, Lamborghini, Ferrari and several others, totaling around thirty. The players move from one location to another and there are four main cities which are in the backdrop of this racing drama. This includes London, New York, Las Vegas and Tokyo. These cars which participate in racing are constituted by innumerable polygons and these help the cars to assume better shape than those in the previous versions of Project Gotham Racing. A significant turn in the game is provided by what is known as ‘Kudos’ by means of which it is possible for the player to accumulate extra points and that can be achieved through implementing trendy, classy and efficient driving techniques. Among the total eighty cars devised to perform in the game, around seventy one are usable from the beginning while the remaining nine are reserved for later purposes after earning the Kudos points. According to their level of performance the cars are also rated and the grades are A fro the best and E for the worst performer.

This game can also be played with a maximum of two players in the Xbox 360 version and an increased number of players can also be included with the use of the system link. For the lone player, Project Gotham Racing 3 allows online scoreboards and Time Trial facilities to increase one’s efficiency.

Review of Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 2 is an immensely popular sequel to the widely acclaimed Call of Duty developed by Infinity Ward and has sold millions of copies world wide since its release in 2005 and is supported by the Xbox 360 variants. For Xbox 360 versions, a maximum of eight players can play the game. In fact statistics reveal that it was the Xbox 360 version which has recorded maximum sales.

This is a first person shooter game set in the backdrop of the Second World War and comprises of three campaigns. The game functions with the player who has to assume the character of the soldier of the British Army, the Red Army and the United States army while the Second World War is on and it is his duty to withstand all hardships and try and attain victory in the face of constant and formidable oppositions. It is a test of one’s strategy, intelligence and tactics as the player has very few options when it comes to the variety of weapons he can use to protect himself. There are grenades, explosives, machine gins and cannons and the player is always in the verge of life threatening situations when death is at hand’s distance. Moreover, the Call of Duty Radiant which was released later contains several mapping systems. There are various kinds of game modes included in this version which comprise of Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, Headquarters and Capture the Flag.

The entire game is divided into three main parts and each art recounts a different anecdote. In the first part named Eastern Front, the player is a Red army soldier named Private Vasili Ivanovich Koslov, in the North African endeavor, he is Sergeant John Davis, a British soldier while in the Battle of Normandy he is Corporal Bill Taylor and the game concludes with the final crossing of the Rhine river.

On the negative side Call of Duty 2 has been critiqued for being unrealistic and also for its controversial advertisements.