Developer: Lionhead Studios
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: Action RPG
Players: 1-2
Platform: Xbox 360
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 25
Once again we are thrown into the fantasy world of Albion that Peter Molyneux has created. This time around the game is larger, prettier and supposedly better than before. With the other big titles out there, can Fable 2 hold its own and live up to the hype? That’s what we are going to find out.
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Players: 1-4 (16 online)
Console: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: ~ 20 hours
Progress: Finished single player, played every map in online multiplayer.
The first-person shooter genre is over saturated, no doubt. However, as in so many other aspects of life, competition makes for greatness. Being a multiplayer gamer, my journey to figure out exactly which game I would devote my gaming life to was an arduous one, but alas, as in war, victory was won by pure grit and determination. Enter Call of Duty: World at War (CODWAW). With grit in the pure visceral impact of every second of the single player campaign, you can feel the determination of Treyarch to make one of the largest games of last year. War is hell, and hell is here.
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Genre: First-Person Action RPG
Players: 1
Console: Xbox 360/PS3/PC
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
TestFreaks Score: 9.6/10
Hours Played: ~ 40 hours
Progress: Beat main story, completed about half of side quests
Bethesda is a video game company known primarily for its development of one of the biggest first-person action RPG game series in the world, Elder Scrolls. With their track record of primarily awesome games and their renown in the world of RPGs, extreme quality is most certainly expected from any game that they produce. When it was announced that Bethesda was going to take the reins for a first-person iteration of the popular Fallout series for current-gen consoles, there was a mixed response from the gaming community. Isometric turn-based RPG purists were disgusted that Fallout 3 would not be receiving the Diablo treatment again, and fans of the Elder Scrolls series rejoiced as Bethesda was embarking to create another game so much like thier beloved series. I was in the latter of the two categories, so my expectations for this game were quite high. Was Bethesda able to deliver on all of the hype surrounding their newest RPG?
Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft
Players: 1-2 (10 online)
Console: Xbox 360
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
TestFreaks Score: 10/10
Hours Played: ~ 15 hours
Progress: Beat game on Hardcore, played lots of online
Well, we didn’t kill all of them critters last time, so here we are again. An instant flagship title for Microsoft, the Gears series has made quite a name for itself in the gaming world. Known particularly for ridiculously tasty visuals and plentiful gore, can this game possibly live up to the ridiculous standards set by the original? (All screens in this review can be clicked to be enlarged and are all taken from IN GAME action.)
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Developer: Valve (Turtle Rock Studios)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1 (1-8 online)
Console: PC/Xbox 360
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 16 hours
Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse? Have you ever seen George A. Romero?s Day of the Dead, made way back in the 80?s? How about the latest remake? You know the movie where the zombies actually run at the people instead of sleep walking and groaning about back pains? Well, Left 4 Dead is a lot like the new Day of the Dead, it has zombies, blood, guns, and a lot more zombies! The zombies charge at you at full speed, none of that sleep walking business. You and your three other teammates (either humans or bots) will have work together and learn how to coordinate extremely well on the higher difficulties if you plan to survive.
Developer/Publisher: Namco
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Players: 1-4
Hours Played: 12
Progress: Completed Story Mode with all characters
I still remember the original Soul Edge as one of the defining 3D fighters on the PS1. That generation spawned many great fighting games but the forerunner to what would eventually be the Soul Calibur series already set itself apart with solid fight mechanics, good graphics and weapons based combat.
Many fighting game fans have been looking forward to the next Soul Calibur addition to the series for the new generation of consoles. While the weapons based combat is still a staple of the franchise, its solid graphics, character design and innovation have won new fans over the years. The game?s innovation has come from a variety of different directions; Soul Calibur has featured an adventure-style story mode, a create-a-fighter mode and special guest characters. It is especially the latter which has garnered the series some hype and interest.
Hours Played: over 50
Progress: Completed “Endless Setlist” (gained Legendary status!)
Rock Band is the first music simulation game to encompass a full band. It allows players to play drums, guitar, bass, and sing. This is the first time drumming has come to a console (at least a full drum set unlike Taiko Drum Master or Donkey Konga). Singing is much like Sing Star and the guitar/bass is much like Guitar Hero.