Archive for the ‘Xbox 360’ Category

Turn your living room into a world-class stadium, bowling alley, soccer pitch or track-and-field arena. With “Kinect Sports” you’re not only the star player, you are the controller – through the magic of Kinect for Xbox 360. See a ball? Kick it. Spike it. Even give it a little topspin. “Kinect Sports” features soccer, beach volleyball, bowling, table tennis, track and field, and boxing. Simple, intuitive and instantly fun, “Kinect Sports” delivers the ultimate party experience – whether you are trying to outmaneuver the goalie to win the soccer match or cheering on your friends at ringside. The first full-body, controller-free sports game, “Kinect Sports” is so real, you will almost feel the wind in your hair as you fly over hurdles and the sand in your toes as you set, bump and spike your way to volleyball victory.

“As an example of what Kinect can do, and as a point of entry for gamers and casuals alike, Kinect Sports delivers an easily accessible but surprisingly nuanced game. While there are some stumbling points here and there, such as the strange local multiplayer omissions in Table tennis or the muddled co-op mechanics of soccer, Kinect Sports still manages to be fun and different. If you’re looking for a game that shows off the hardware, this is it.” We give it 4 stars out of 5.

Dance Central, exclusively for “Kinect” for Xbox 360, is the first real dance game experience that is fun, social and for everyone! Brought to you by Harmonix, the developers who created the world-wide blockbuster Rock Band, Dance Central is the first immersive dance video game that features and tracks full-body dance moves. Completely free from any controller, every routine has authentic choreography for beginners and experts alike to master, alongside a killer soundtrack that spans today’s current pop, hip-hop and R&B artists. Take it step-by-step with Break It Down or jump right in and start performing for your family and friends. Either way, you won’t just learn dance moves, you’ll own the dance floor!

“Dance Central is great fun, it gets you moving, and it’s absolutely perfect for parties. Although it’s disappointing to see so few features and unlocks included, the actual song selection, dance routines, and the accuracy of the Kinect implementation is what makes Dance Central worth a look. Dancing is one of my favorite things besides video games, and Dance Central combines those two pastimes beautifully.” We give it 4 stars out of 5.
October 29, 2010 @ 10:42 am

The force is not strong in this one

The Star Wars Saga continues with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, the highly anticipated sequel to the fastest-selling Star Wars game ever created, which has sold more than seven million copies worldwide. In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, the world was introduced to Darth Vader’s now fugitive apprentice, Starkiller-the unlikely hero who would ignite the flames of rebellion in a galaxy so desperately in need of a champion. In the sequel, Starkiller returns with over-the-top Force powers and embarks on a journey to discover his own identity and to reunite with his one true love, Juno Eclipse. In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Starkiller is once again the pawn of Darth Vader-but instead of training his protégée as a ruthless assassin, the dark lord is attempting to clone his former apprentice in an attempt to create the Ultimate Sith warrior. The chase is on – Starkiller is in pursuit of Juno and Darth Vader is hunting for Starkiller. With all-new devastating Force powers and the ability to dual-wield lightsabers, Starkiller cuts a swath through deadly new enemies across exciting worlds from the Star Wars films – all in his desperate search for answers to his past.

‘Reviewing The Force Unleashed 2 breaks my heart. As a rabid Star Wars fan who’s gone so far as to tattoo symbols of the franchise on my body, I wanted to jump into another epic story that better fleshes out Starkiller’s story. It’s disappointing that The Force Unleashed 2 not only fails to tell an interesting yarn, but also somehow manages to make the cool combat mechanics feel relatively pedestrian by failing to have enough variation in combat, or enough outside of combat to break up the pacing. Hardcore Star Wars fans should still check this out, but, as Master Yoda might say, “a good game The Force Unleashed 2 is not.”’  We give this one 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Having sold more than 50 million units worldwide, the renowned WWE simulation experience and annual centerpiece in THQ’s expanding WWE videogame portfolio returns to define the ultimate WWE moments and give players even greater creative and decision-making freedom throughout their storied journeys within WWE.

‘In the end, there are two main annoyances that stand out to me with WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 and make it just a bit less awesome than last year’s effort — the frustrating grapples and the rough Road to WrestleMania backstage stuff. Not being able to transition to a hip toss and watching John Cena’s mouth open and close at random sucked me out of the experience.Thankfully, there’s plenty in this game that pulled me back in. Making choices in the stories, never knowing what was going to happen in WWE Universe Mode, and seeing fans hold up signs packing the IGN logo are all really cool memories I have from this game. Sure, it feels like a suped-up version of last year’s title here and there, but there’s nothing wrong with that when the game is this much fun.’ We give this one 4 stars out of 5.

Rock Band 3 is the next generation of the ultimate social and interactive music gaming platform developed by the category’s leading pioneers, Harmonix Music Systems. Featuring innovative game modes and instruments, Rock Band 3 will change the way fans think about and play music games.

‘Rock Band 3 is a tough one to judge. If you don’t have any downloadable content, then the experience isn’t nearly as robust or interesting. And if you don’t buy the new keyboard or Pro Guitar, well, then it’s just more Rock Band. Not that there’s anything wrong with more of the same — Rock Band’s still a great time. The value in Rock Band 3 is going to vary from person to person far more than with most games.What the Pro mode adds is a reason to play Rock Band alone (if you make the investment). For the first time, the series is more satisfying alone than in a room packed with friends, although that’s not to say rocking out with your buddies isn’t cool. But, seriously, you can spend 20 hours playing Pro Keys and never need anyone else in your band.

Rock Band 3 is the best music game option around. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it. But my bet is that most people will just buy the game and nothing more. And while that experience is still solid, it’s not all that different from Rock Band 2.’ We give it 4 stars out of 5.

Lock, Load, & Face the Madness! Get ready for the mind-blowing insanity, as one of four trigger-happy mercenaries, taking out everything that stands in your way. With its addictive action, frantic first person shooter combat, massive arsenal of weaponry, RPG elements and four-player co-op, Borderlands is the breakthrough experience that challenges all the conventions of modern shooters. Borderlands places you in the role of a mercenary on the lawless and desolate planet of Pandora, hell bent on finding a legendary stockpile of powerful alien technology known as The Vault.

“Gearbox’s Borderlands is without a doubt a slick, satisfying hybrid title for those who know what to expect. If you’re a shooter fan curious what the world of Pandora is all about, then you should know that this is a product built on a foundation of statistical progression, character customization, and one that holds item acquisition high above interesting quest structure and narrative. At the same time, it plays like a shooter, requiring twitch skills to dominate the droves of enemies that stand in between you and your search for a mysterious vault. With the opportunity for up to four to join together for co-operative play, four character classes, a dizzying array of firearms, around 20 or so hours of content for a single playthrough and the option to restart with stronger enemies and loot, there’s plenty of content here. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable journey that offers a steady stream of rewards that remains convenient and accessible. It’s something action role-playing game fans looking for an experience more up-close and brutal than genre entries of the third-person variety should have a blast with, and one of the more memorable products of 2009.” We give it 4 stars out of 5.

The tornado of fierce ninja action that is Naruto Shippuden returns to the PlayStation3 and hits Xbox 360 for the first time! NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 brings the worldwide hit manga franchise to life in completely new ways. With refined fighting mechanics, a rich story mode with deep replay value, and the first online play ever in the Naruto franchise, the game is nothing less than the most electrifying fighting-adventure game ever.

“Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja: Storm 2 is one of the more gorgeous games I’ve seen in a long time. They’ve really captured the feeling of the cartoons, and playing the Adventure Mode — at least in the less tedious portions — feels like you’re playing inside an episode of the anime. The fighting system is surprisingly rich; I just wish they’d unlocked the full character roster from the start. No one wants to buy a fighting game, invite their friends over, and then realize they need to play hours of a story mode just to get their favorite characters. Still, this is a fun fighter, even if you don’t really care for the subject matter.” We give this 4 stars out of 5 stars.
October 14, 2010 @ 2:31 pm

Is this what we waited for? Wow!

When the mission must not fail, the National Command Authority calls in the Tier 1 Operators. And we’re not talking about those guys who sell candles and wicker chairs. We’re talking “Tier” 1 with a “T.” They are the best of the best – the elite-est of the elite. To give you an idea of just how elite they are, more than 2 million Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines serve in our armed forces. Out of those 2 million, about 50,000 fall under the direct control of Special Operations Command. Although their exact numbers are classified, only a few hundred out of those 50,000 make the cut as a Tier 1 Operator. They are living, breathing, precision instruments of war. They are experts in the application of violence. And out of those few hundred, only one, namely you, will step into the boots of one of these elite warriors in the hostile, unforgiving battlefield conditions in present-day Afghanistan. Do you think you have what it takes to confront a new enemy who improvises mercilessly in a new kind of war? Do you think you have what it takes to be Tier 1? Put this in your shopping cart. We dare you.

Medal of Honor‘s real problem may be Danger Close’s inability to commit to a particular direction for the game. Swinging wildly between the horrors and danger of war and unrealistic action movie moments and hampered by a surplus of boring scripted sequences, not even DICE’s talented multiplayer designers are able to elevate Medal of Honor to something memorable. Combined with Danger Close’s fixation on delivering an experience about a war that Americans are deeply ambivalent about, and multiplayer that remains likely to incite controversy about its content after players have moved on to deeper, more engaging multiplayer options, Medal of Honor is one of the bigger disappointments of 2010. That being said, for gamers with the option, Medal of Honor for PC is the version to get, with none of the apparent stability problems of its console counterparts.’  We give it 3 stars out of 5.

ArcaniA – A Gothic Tale is set in a rich world that invites the player to explore all of its innumerable attractions and details. Different climate zones, abundant flora and fauna, subterranean vaults, and cities and castles with unique architecture await the adventurous player. Clouds darken the skies, weather effects such as wind and heavy rain influence the game world, keeping it endlessly fascinating with its amazing graphics, day and night cycles, and a stunning display of light and shadow. Wonderfully atmospheric music and top-of-the-line sound effects create a truly immersive playing environment. A multitude of entertaining and challenging quests, challenging combat, mysterious NPC characters and a sophisticated plot guarantee many hours of highly entertaining gameplay. The Southern Islands await!

‘While the PC version is certainly superior to the console port, Arcania: Gothic IV does very little to progress the genre – particularly in mission structure and storytelling areas – but what it ultimately does deliver is a loot-heavy dungeon crawling experience that doesn’t tax your skills. Instead it lets you leisurely enjoy the world and kill a lot of goblins and swamp flies along the way. In this way, the Gothic series has always filled in a more casual space than similarly minded RPGs. The combat has a decent level of depth, the island is sprawling though certainly not truly open-world, but at least varied and detailed. The story is distracting and disposable – kind of enjoyable but never subtle. It’s not going to please hardcore D&D purists or gamers looking for the next Elder Scrolls, but as a middle ground between deeper entries and linear adventures, Arcania: Gothic IV hits its stride.’ We give it 3 stars out of 5.

NBA 2K11 is the latest installment in the best selling, and highest rated NBA videogame series. NBA 2K11 is the best way to plug into NBA culture. It’s the most fun, authentic NBA videogame experience and is for any sports fan with that competitive fire who wants to play the best NBA simulation on the market. It’s the NBA series that everyone is playing – from the most elite NBA athletes and superstars to the local court gym rats. NBA 2K10 delivered on its promise to TAKE OVER, and NBA 2K11 will on build on that momentum by dialing up all of its features – gameplay, AI, presentation, visuals, audio, online and more – to deliver the best basketball videogame experience EVER.

‘NBA 2K11 is a love letter to basketball fans. If you don’t follow hoops, a lot of the subtleties will be lost on you. And if you are looking for a loose, fun, crazy dunkfest experience like NBA Jam, you’re going to get hosed. But if you are serious about basketball, this will fill a long-standing void in your hoops-loving heart. This is the NBA. No one else has come close to representing it in such great and accurate detail as this.
Honestly, the stuff with Michael Jordan is reason enough to pick up NBA 2K11. The fact that 2K Sports did so much more with this game and improved it so greatly over last year’s title is stunning. This isn’t just the best basketball game ever; it’s the best sports game of this generation.’ We give it 4.5 stars out of 5.