Category: Games

Well, I have played through the first few acts of the game. So far the game is absolutely excellent. The combat is very fluid and tactical. The controls take a bit of getting used to though. I died a ton during the beginning of the game when I was trying to learn the controls and get a feel for the combat. But once you get a sense of how to (and how not to) play the game, it’s a ton of fun. The graphics are simply amazing and by far the best of any game on any platform. What’s even more impressive is that the frame rate is pretty much rock solid with no slow down. The storyline isn’t as good as one might have hoped, but its good enough to make you like the other characters in your squad and care about completing your objectives. The combat dialog is great and the voice acting is pretty good. Believe the hype everyone, its well deserved. Expect to see a review in the coming weeks.

In other news, during a recent interview with Gamepro, Cliffy B mentioned that they only scratched the surface of what the Xbox 360 is capable of:

Having worked on Xbox 360, from a technology standpoint, how much more do you think the system can be pushed with future games?

I think there’s plenty of room to push and experiment when it comes to physics and AI and real-time lighting. I think we’ve only scratched the surface of what we can do with gameplay as well as the 360. There’s far more potential down the road to do more stuff. As amazing as I think Gears is, and my gut tells me I still love playing it, I think we have a really incredible experience; I think we’ll definitely push it further if we get around to dong a new version in the future.

To read the whole interview, go here.

Some of you might remember the previous BestBuy.com incident where I ordered Oblivion for Xbox 360 and got a copy of some soccer game for the PS2 and then wasn’t allowed to switch it for what I ordered. That sucked a lot, but this is even worse.

Two days ago I was calling around to stores to see if any of them had Gears of War in stock. When I called my local Best Buy the woman that answered the phone told me that the store did not have them, and that she couldn’t guarantee that they would have them in at all this week. Then she told me that she could have the warehouse ship it to me for free overnight and that I would have it by tomorrow in the afternoon. Seeing as Circuit City probably wouldn’t have it in by the next day I decided to not use my 15% of coupon and just have her overnight it to me.

So the next day I wait and nothing comes. So I figure it might just take two days to ship (one day for them to send it out and another for it to arrive). Well the next day comes along and I still don’t have it. I go online to track the order with the order number she gave me. It asks for my order number, my last name and my phone number. I enter that all in and it tells me my phone number is incorrect. So now I can’t even log in to check the status of my package. Chances are she entered the info I gave her over the phone wrong or something. If she could not type in my phone number right, who knows what else she messed up entering. So now I am not sure if I will end up getting it at all.

What sucks is that if I were not waiting for this stupid package that should have arrived yesterday I could just go out and buy the game from somewhere else.

Well we finally have some news! Today, as part of the Xbox 360 showcase event, Microsoft provided a preview of some of its holiday and early 2007 line-up for Xbox Live Arcade. Beginning in January 2007, Atari will release six titles on Xbox Live Arcade throughout the year. Both classic and evolved versions will be available for each of the following titles:

• Centipede/Millipede: defend your village against an onslaught of centipedes, spiders, army ants and more. In addition to the classic mode, the evolution mode offers high definition graphics and special effects like motion blur, trails and particle-based explosions to make the experience as enjoyable today as it was decades ago.
• Battlezone: the original tank vs. tank action classic has received an Xbox Live overhaul, adding in exciting new multiplayer modes including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. This updated version is truly a must-have for any fan of the original, which is also included. Additionally, players can use the Xbox Live Vision camera to watch live video of their opponents. Combine these features with new special effects for weapon firing, impacts and explosions and you have one killer classic as you’ve never experienced it before.
• Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe: rotate, thrust, flip, fire and jump to hyperspace as you blast oncoming asteroids to smithereens just like in the 1979 original, but in updated, beautifully rendered, high definition graphics that complement the classic original.
• Missile Command: protecting your city from alien missile attacks has never looked better now that this classic has been overhauled with updated graphics and 3D rendered vistas. Choose from the evolved mode or the timeless original gameplay.
• Tempest: clear a web of enemies before time runs out and advance to the next stage, using an arsenal of weapons at your disposal. This evolved version features a graphics overhaul while maintaining the same addictive gameplay of the original.
• Warlords: a multiplayer classic that resurrects the competitive spirit of arcade games from years gone by. Knock out the other kings in their castles while keeping yourself protected at the same time. Up to four players can join the action with the game taking control of any vacant castles allowing for a variety of single- or multiplayer experiences. Gamers can also import their own pictures to their castles for an extra personalization.

Some of the titles that will be released by this holiday include:

• Small Arms (Gastronaut Studios) – an indie-developed original title designed specifically for Xbox Live Arcade, featuring frantic multiplayer brawling combined with action and precision shooting.
• Novadrome (Buena Vista Games) – originally developed futuristic racing on Xbox Live Arcade.
• Assault Heroes (Wanako/Vivendi Games) – blast waves of formidable foes in this originally developed top-down shooter, single player or two player co-op action.
• Heavy Weapon (PopCap Games) – experience this irreverent, original side-scrolling action game that supports up to 4 players simultaneously.
• Defender (Midway) – space combat classic updated for this generation.
• Contra (Konami) – the seminal side-scrolling shooter that started it all will be launching on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday, November 8 at 0800 GMT