Browsing all 124 posts tagged with xbox-360.
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
I haven’t written about many downloadable titles, despite having purchased dozens. I’m sure exactly why that is, but Limbo is just too great of an experience for me to let slip by without a mention. With a complete lack of colour in its bleak visual style, no music to be heard, and no weapons to wield. It’s quite possibly the simplest game from top to bottom, when you step back and really look at it. But that’s not to say there isn’t much of a game here. For Limbo is a game I will remember for years to come, I have no doubt.
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Having grown up in the ’80s, I was more than just a little excited to see the original Transformers brought back to life. Especially in the form of a third-person action game, built on top of Epic’s Unreal Engine, and set before any other known events in the Transformers universe. Tack on a complete 3-player co-op campaign and a surprisingly deep competitive online component, and you have what sounds like a perfect recipe. While it may not be perfect, it’s pretty damn good, and definitely satisfied my thirst for some retro Transformers action.
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Arcade racing games provide an escape from reality that allows you to drive like a maniac in vehicles you could never afford, or don’t even exist in the real world. Throw in some absolutely insane and often impossible situations, and you have Split/Second. Driving super fast and narrowly avoiding collisions is fun and exhilarating. Speeding across the deck of a sinking aircraft carrier and dodging jet fighters that are sliding down the inflamed landing strip is fucking awesome! You haven’t played a racing game like Split/Second before.
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Three games in less than 3 years – you know this game is either published by Activision or EA. Although the Skate franchise has always been heavy on the in-game advertisements and product placement, I don’t feel as though EA is purely milking it. In fact, with each game in the series getting better and better, the sequels have felt full and justified. Skate 3 keeps the core gameplay in tact, throws you into an entirely new city, and gives you loads of new challenges to complete, both solo and online. If you played the demo and were sorely let down (like me), fear not! Skate 3 is a welcome addition to the franchise, and another step in the right direction.
Friday, March 19th, 2010
The Battlefield franchise is one of my personal favourites, dating back to the first game in the series – Battlefield 1942, which debuted on the PC back in 2002. I’ve played every release since, with the exception of BF2142, since I’m no longer into PC gaming. Naturally, I snagged Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on day-one, and have been playing it steady for the past couple weeks. The campaign has long since been completed, and the multiplayer end of the game has a firm grasp on my testicles.
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Mass Effect was a game I was completely prepared to pass by without a second look. After-all, it was an RPG from the guys that made the original Knights of the Old Republic. While that excited many people, it turned me off instantly. I have never been a huge RPG fan, and the turn-based combat of KOTOR did nothing for me. After hearing so many great things about Mass Effect, I picked it up on sale one day, and ended up playing it through 3 full times. Needless to say, its sequel is a game I had been looking forward to even before it was officially announced. Now it’s here, I’m on my second play-through, and even as I’m writing this, I’m itching to drop everything and jump back into it. Mass Effect 2 bests its predecessor in every way, and that’s saying a lot!
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Assassin’s Creed was a huge hit for some, a massive fail for others. While I found great pleasure in roaming the countryside on horseback, picking fights with anyone who so much as looked in my direction. Others found it mundane and the sheer lack of variation in mission objectives tedious. Combat was also an acquired taste, as it’s slower and more methodical than simply running and gunning. There are no frag grenades to toss here. You’re taking dudes down one-by-one in hand-to-hand combat. Where Altair (the protagonist in the original game) fell flat, Ezio…
Monday, October 19th, 2009
Halo 3: ODST, initially called Halo 3: Recon, was intended to be a PC style expansion pack for Halo 3. But during it’s development, the game evolved into a full-fledged package worthy of a standard retail game’s price tag. If you’re a fan of the Halo series and enjoy the fictional lore, Halo 3: ODST is a no-brainer.
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Every year Microsoft holds a little get-together in Toronto around this time to showcase the games and other new things that are headed to their platform in the coming months. X’09 took place a couple days ago, and I was lucky enough to get an invite. Expectations were high, as I’ve been to a few X’0 events in the past and they seemed to get bigger every year. I suppose 2009 is the exception, as it definitely wasn’t as packed with looming holiday blockbusters as previous years. But it was great to get out…
Monday, September 28th, 2009
NFS: Shift is the best game the series has seen in recent years. But it’s not quite as good as other games in the genre. It does everything well, but there isn’t a whole lot if doesn’t exceptionally well. With other races like Forza 3 and Gran Turismo 5 on the horizon, it’s hard to tell you to go out and buy this game, as both will likely surpass NFS: Shift. That said, I really enjoyed the time I spent playing this game and would recommend it as a solid rental.
