Call of Duty 4 is not only introducing a new setting, but it comes packed with new and advanced equipment and weapons too. Also making an appearance in this installment is that now players will have the chance not only to be a soldier on foot, but certain levels will have players manning gun ships, and flying fighter jets.]]>
Guitar Hero III is what you would get if you took the essential game play of Guitar Hero 2 but upgraded it and added loads of new features. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Guitar Hero games are guitar playing games. The gamer has a guitar and plays songs in the game. The songs are played by hitting the different fret buttons on the guitar as they come up on the TV screen. Just search Guitar Hero on You Tube and you’ll get the idea.
It looks like Red Octane is offering many new features, the first or which is a wireless guitar. Last year we were stuck with a wired guitar, this year its wireless. Another huge feature is online play. Last year with Guitar Hero, the only time we could play with someone else is if we bought another guitar and invited them over. This year you can play against anyone, anywhere as Guitar Hero III will support online play over Xbox Live.
Guitar Hero III will also feature a couple new modes such as the new battle mode, where you will face off against an opponent and earn power ups by going on streaks. By hitting many notes in a row you can then use your power ups to mess with your opponent. You could switch his notes to make them show up lefty style, you can up his difficulty level; you can shake his side of the screen — t here are many different possibilities. If you’re still unsure if you should buy the new Guitar Hero game if you already own Guitar Hero 2, read on and we’ll tell you why you may want to.
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In May XBS was invited to the Medal Of Honor Airborne Summit at EA's LAX Studio's. I walked away from the single-player summit impressed and already knew that there were plans for a multi-player summit. A few weeks ago I received an invitation for the multi-player summit. The big surprise was not the fact of the summit but where it was going to be held. The event was going to be held at Fort Bragg, home of the 82nd Airborne. We also learned that we would be on the base for the entire summit and even have a chance to go through Jump School training if we wanted to. I was not only going to an event I was going to be a part of history since no one has ever hosted an event outside their studio before. Read on to find out why I walked away even more impressed with the game and can start off by saying it will be a hit when it ships!
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Skateboarding is nothing new for videogames. Many of us here at XBS have enjoyed playing THPS series for years even online through GameSpy before Xbox Live support. The sad thing is that when one company has the market cornered, there is no reason to really raise the bar. The first three games of Tony Hawk were a blast to play and they kept my attention. While I thought Project was a step in a new direction, it still had the basic controls for the most part. I started to read about Skate and it grabbed my attention. The trailers alone were great but the question was could EA really bring something new and fresh for those who enjoy skateboarding games? Well, XBS was invited to attend the Skate Community event at EAX Studio in Vancouver. What you are about to read is a recap of the event and my impressions of the game — you maybe surprised at what I think!]]>
By now everyone knows how I love FPS games and especially war-themed ones. Throw in the fact Jason loves them as well and we both have logged in more hours than I care to admit. When the Xbox 360 launched, I remember making a statement that this will finally give game developers a chance to really challenge gamers with new AI systems and better overall gameplay. While the graphics have been enhanced, I have to be honest and say the games are not as challenging as I wanted them to be. A lot of our readers may think we just play through a game and then review it and move on to the next one. Well, at times we do need to limit the time we spend on each title, but after hours you can find us on Xbox Live playing our favorites. Chances are it's an FPS we are playing.
Now as die hard fans we just don't sit and play. We also talk about "what if" (as I like to call it). For example, what if game devolpers made an AI system smart enough to know we are going to go back around and flank the other side? Another "what if" is how about letting us cook a grenade so it would explode as soon as it lands causing more damage? While the list of "what ifs" has grown with each new title to pass our desks, the number one wish would be an AI smart enough to get behind us and start shooting—knowing our pattern and reacting in real time. After all, we all want realistic gameplay and it just seems that most games no matter the overall fun factor are still lacking the true AI element. When you look at it honestly, the FPS genre has become nothing more than a system of one way ins and outs. In shooting games we call this a "rail shooter" and while they can be fun, it just seems its the same thing with a different look or war arena.
It's funny how timing works; I recently got an invite to attend the Medal of Honor Airborne Summit at EA's LA Studio's. I accepted and hoped that this one would show some of the great things the first game did in the series. Of course I had plenty of questions and suggestions for the team. Read on to see my thoughts of EA's Medal of Honor Airborne.
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Last week XBS was invited to Vancouver BC to attend the FIFA Community Event at EAC. In case you’re not used to the lingo, EAC is simply Electronic Arts Canada and it’s the largest studio EA has. Heading off I saw they had a full schedule for us at the event. I arrived at the Sutton Place Hotel, a 5 Star Hotel that is way out of my league. I soon met up with a few others including Daylon, from http://www.unscripted360.com/, and Kyle, from http://www.gamefreaks365.com/. I also met DJ from http://www.gamingtruth.com/. We got there a bit early on Thursday and had a few hours to kill so soon we were playing Mario Kart to pass the time. Later that night we had a great dinner at Earl’s where the main action was the Mets game. We hung around talked and got to meet Rob and Clive from EA as well as a few of the other team members of the game. It was a nice group and we all got along great joking, laughing and talking about our personal favorite games. We also talked about the worst game ever made for a console, which I have to admit was not as easy but still fun. Since the flight was very long, the first night was over pretty early and we headed back to the hotel since we had a full day ahead of us.]]>
Game developer Real Time Worlds is ready to take gamers to the future of law enforcement with their new Xbox 360 title Crackdown. This one is set in a bleak world where crime runs rampant and the standard police forces are powerless to stop the various gangs from doing whatever they want. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the Agency, an international police organization, unleashes a new genetically enhanced super cop to deal with the situation by any means necessary. These police officers of the future are stronger, faster, and more durable than anything the world has seen before. Will this last resort be enough to save the world from total anarchy? The answer to that question lies in the hands of the player.]]>
Turn 10 Studios are ready to give gamers another dose of simulation racing with their new Xbox 360 title Forza Motorsport 2. This one will follow in the foot steps of its best selling predecessor in delivering the best real to life car driving experience. The developer is using every bit of the graphical horsepower and processing capabilities of the Xbox 360 to deliver a true next generation racing experience.
Fans can look forward to racing on a huge variety of race tracks including real world locations such as Laguna Seca and Road America. All of the 13 officially licensed tracks are replicated in painstaking detail to make them as authentic as possible. Including these tracks there will be a total 60 racing arenas to trade paint on.
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Game developer Ubisoft is bringing everyone's favorite spy to the next generation with their new Xbox 360 title Splinter Cell: Double Agent. This one puts players back in the shoes of Sam Fisher as he embarks on the most dangerous mission of his life. His objective is to infiltrate a deadly terrorist organization and bring it down from the inside. In order to do this Sam will have to turn himself into a criminal and try to earn the trust of the terrorists in order to infiltrate their group and learn their plans.]]>
The Need For Speed series of video games has been a huge success among arcade style racing fans for several years and Electronic Arts' upcoming Need For Speed Carbon promises to keep racing fans happy with a slew of new features which will not disappoint. Xbox Solution recently visited EA Black Box in Vancouver for the Need For Speed Carbon Community Day Event and had a chance to talk with the developers and play the game. At the end of the day, we walked away impressed with what EA is doing with the Need For Speed series. Read on for our in depth look at Need For Speed Carbon...]]>
The fate of the world is in your hands with Silicon Knights new Xbox 360 title Too Human. This game is going to be the first act in a three part trilogy cataloging an epic war between mankind and machines. It will take us to a much darker and more desperate world where humanity is on its last legs in war against a deadly army of machines. The machines have launched a seemingly unstoppable assault after discovering an ancient race of dark mechanical soldiers to aid them in their war. The only hope that humanity has left for survival lies in hands of the cybernetic god Baldur. Combining the strengths of both the machines and the humans, he is an unstoppable force and the only being capable of defeating this new menace.]]>
“Everybody died; the problem is that they didn’t stay deadâ€. That is the problem that gamers will be facing in Capcom’s newest Xbox 360 title Dead Rising. This one will put players in the shoes of photo journalist Frank West in his pursuit of the “scoop†of a lifetime. That scoop is that zombies are real and have taken over his hometown. Rather than fleeing for his life, Frank grabs his camera and hitches a ride to the local mall so he can cover the story. However, the mall isn’t the safe haven that he thought it would be and he soon finds himself fighting for his life against thousands of the undead.
In Dead Rising, a third person title gamers will be turned loose in a sprawling suburban mall packed wall to wall with zombies. Thankfully, there are plenty of weapons to be found throughout the mall that can be used to subdue these flesh starved fiends. These weapons can be found in the numerous stores in the malls. You will be able to choose your weapons from the inventories of all of the shops in the mall such as hardware stores, gun shops, or the fruit deli if you find yourself in desperate need of a something to throw at zombie. Some gamers might even find themselves eyeballing a riding lawnmower or golf cart with a mischievous smile on their face.
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Game developer Raven Software and publisher Activision are teaming up to bring the comic book universe to life with their newest Xbox 360 title Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Earth's Mightiest Heroes are teaming up to save the planet from the greatest threat they have ever faced. Doctor Doom has created a coalition with the most powerful super villains in the world. This group is known as "The Masters of Evil" and together they plan to take over the world....]]>
Game developer and publisher Webzen Inc. are taking first person shooters to a whole new level this fall with their Xbox 360 title Huxley. The idea behind this one is to create a unique online experience by combining the MMORPG genre with the fast paced adrenaline pumping action of a FPS game.]]>