“WoW” Factor

Since it is no secret to anyone of just how big of a video game geek I am, the one question I get asked most is, “You play World of Warcraft, don’t you?” And the answer to that question is, no, I do not play “WoW.” But it isn’t because I have some sort of nerdy, irrational dislike for the game because in all honesty, I’d probably be playing “WoW” right now if I had a gaming quality PC. Considering how popular the game has become, it wouldn’t be outrageous to think a gamer like me would play “WoW.”

In fact, the game has become so popular since its release that Blizzard, the games developer, stated that “WoW” recently hit the 8 million subscriber mark. This colossal figure, as reported by Gamespot.com, translates to closely .1% of the world’s population. China leads the pack with 3.5 million subscribers, followed by North America with 2 million players. Since “WoW” charges players a monthly fee to play online, Blizzard is pulling down a huge sum of money from this game.

Blizzard not only cashes in huge with monthly fees, but they recently released an expansion pack for “WoW” called “The Burning Crusade.” Though this expansion pack costs almost as much as a stand-alone game, about $40, it has sold a record amount of copies. According to the website Digitalbattle.com, “The Burning Crusade” sold 2.4 million copies of the game in North American and Europe within the first 24 hours of its release. This staggering number makes this game the fastest selling PC game of all time. Plus, a video game selling this kind of units in such a short amount of time is almost unheard of and rivals the opening weekend sales of any major motion picture.

But rest assured, Blizzard is giving fans of the game more than their money’s worth with “The Burning Crusade”. First off, Blizzard has introduced an entirely new continent for gamers to explore and conquer. They have also introduced two new races for players to pick from. The Horde now has access to a race known as the Blood Elves, while the Alliance will now have access to the Draenei race. These two races also level the playing field in “WoW” somewhat, because until now the Horde and the Alliance only had access to certain character classes. But with the introduction of these two new races, each side now has the ability to choose whichever class they wish. Another new feature included in “The Burning Crusade” was the level cap being raised from level 60 to level 70.

In fact, one fan of the game was so fanatical about the release of “The Burning Crusade” that he reached the new level 70 cap much sooner than anyone could have anticipated. According to the website www.pro-g.co.uk, a French player named Gullerbone reached level 70 an astonishing mere 28 hours after the game was released on January 16^th. But Gullerbone didn’t accomplish this feat on his own. Actually, he had help from close to 40 of his guildmates and he also utilized a tactic called “tagging” which allowed Gullerbone to receive experience points from his teammate’s kills. Blizzard, who had hoped this new expansion pack would keep fans happy for some time, could be the only ones not impressed by the speed with which Gullerbone reached level 70. Though, given how obsessed some fans are with “WoW”, it was almost expected that someone would attempt something like this.

While “WoW” is not the only MMORPG on the market, it is by far the most popular. “WoW” has also become such a force in mainstream America that its game engine was used to animate an episode of “South Park,” “Make Love, Not Warcraft.” I really do believe that console video game developers will want to take a page from Blizzard’s book and start to cash in on the MMORPG craze that has taken the PC gaming world by storm. With powerful next-gen consoles already on the market and the ever growing popularity of video games and MMORPGs, it’s only a matter of time before a company, like Microsoft who has a strong online community already in place, releases an MMORPG for their console. While I do realize that Sony already tried, and failed, at this idea with the “Everquest” series for the PS2, Sega has already proven with the “Phantasy Star” series on the Dreamcast that creating a successful MMORPG for a home console is absolutely possible.

“GTA” spin-off fails to impress

In the history of “Grand Theft Auto” games, one of the fan favorite cities has been Vice City, not only because Vice City has such a different feel from Liberty City or San Andreas, but also because Vice City embodies a special time in America’s history – the 1980s. The music, the fashion, the coke – the 80s almost seems to be too perfect a setting for a video game about virtual gangsters, which is partly why I was so excited to see that Rockstar, the developer of the “GTA” series, was releasing an all new adventure set in the digitized version of Miami that is Vice City. Unfortunately, “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories” doesn’t live up to its older brother’s legacy.

“GTA: VCS,” which takes place roughly two years before the original “GTA: VC,” follows the misadventures of Vic Vance, the older brother of “GTA: VC” second banana, Lance Vance. Though most “GTA” protagonists are already criminals or social miscreants, Vic is quite the opposite. Vic starts out the game in the army but eventually gets caught up with all sorts of seedy characters that lead him to a life of crime – which he makes very vocal that he is not happy about. While it was an interesting aspect of the game for the main character to be against virtually all facets of the criminal underworld, it also makes for Vic to be quite uninteresting, boring, and quite frankly, annoying.

“GTA: VCS” for the Playstation 2 is a port of a Playstation Portable (PSP) game and after playing the game for only a few minutes, it is painfully obvious that Rockstar didn’t spend much time in porting this game from the PSP to the PS2. Unlike Rockstar’s earlier PSP to PS2 port of “GTA: Liberty City Stories,” which was a very solid port, “GTA: VCS” falls flat on its face in many, many areas.

Traditionally, “GTA” game’s graphics have never been visually stunning, but the graphics in this game are far below average. Buildings and people look jagged and the colors are too muddy and too bright. The controls in this game have also taken a step backward from the slick controls of “GTA: San Andreas.” The controls are so clunky that I often found myself fighting with Vic to get him to perform even the most basic of actions. The targeting system in this game also needs a lot of work for it to even be called competent. Too often when I tried to lock onto enemies who were an immediate threat, I found the game targeting whoever happened to be around, rather than who I need to eliminate. The camera also seemed like it had a mind of its own and would regularly be exactly where I didn’t need or want it to be.

Rockstar also tried to add a lot of new gameplay features but these new features ended up hindering the game more than they helped. For instance, the X button was added into the fighting mechanism to allow for combos but the fighting is so awkward and clunky to begin with that the added depth doesn’t add fun. New side missions, such as the ability to buy property and turn them into fronts for illegal operations, feel more like a chore that must be accomplished rather than an exciting new feature that I actually wanted to complete. The main missions themselves aren’t anymore exciting than the side missions, as they get pretty repetitive and boring before the game really even gets started.

The one area where this game truly shines is its amazing soundtrack. Once again, Rockstar went above and beyond to deliver an incredible array of radio stations which perfectly sets the mood of the 80s. The DJs of these radio stations also deliver plenty of laughs which provide for decent diversions from the sub-par gameplay. From the hair metal goodness of V-Rock, the funky 80s rap beats of Fresh 105, to the off-color humor of VCPR (the talk radio station), the soundtrack of “GTA: VCS” is about this games only saving grace. “GTA: VCS” also features many celebrity voice actors and one would think that with professional voices, the dialog would also stand out along with the radio stations – too bad this isn’t the case. The dialog is lame and the jokes most characters make aren’t on par with the humor of many of the previous “GTA” titles.

Granted it is understandable that Rockstar wouldn’t spend much extra time porting this game from the PSP to the PS2 as they are hard at work on creating their newest next-gen masterpiece, “GTA IV.” But as a gamer and big fan of the “GTA” series, I’ve come to expect a lot more from Rockstar than this game presents, especially after playing through their last excellent PSP to PS2 port, “GTA: Liberty City Stories.” Even though it is a port and only costs $20 on the PS2, I’d recommend that only hardcore fans of the series check out this title as casual gamers may be put off by the obvious lack of effort put into this game.

“Oblivion” expanding soon

Although I feel its part of my job to keep gamers aware of as much current gaming news as I can, I would always rather report on games that I’ve actually played. I’m not proud to admit it, but at the time of this writing, the game I’ll be discussing this week has taken up at least 80 hours of my life so far – and I’m still no where close to beating it.

Considered by many to be the best role playing game of last year, it isn’t hard to see why so many people love “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion”. The mythical world of Cyrodiil, a province of the continent Tamriel and where “Oblivion” takes place, offers gamers up to 200+ hours of gameplay. Players can choose from a variety of character creation options then after a lengthy tutorial/introduction players can complete any quest, be it part of the huge main quest or a short side quest, they want at their leisure. Exploring the gigantic land of Cyrodiil is almost a quest in itself. As the story goes, a strange, evil cult has conspired with a Daedric prince, a being widely considered to be a demon in Tamriel, to assassinate the emperor and plunge the land into chaos. The players main quest is to find the emperors last remaining son and heir to the throne and restore order to Cyrodiil.

“Oblivion” not only packs in a massive amount of features and gameplay, but it is also one of the best looking 360 titles. The attention to detail on each of Cyrodiil’s strange, but interesting, creatures is incredible. On top of the impressive graphics, “Oblivion” also sports more lines of dialog than a movie so expect to talk to a lot of people.

But even though “Oblivion” offers a few hundred hours of gameplay, it also has been out for almost a year. Developer Bethesda Softworks has taken advantage of Xbox Live Marketplace and released a plethora of additions to the “Oblivion” world. These new features range from a band of pirates you can hire to plunder and give you a cut of their ill-gotten gains to an entirely new quest called “Knights of the Nine.” But all of these recently released extras pale in comparison to the brand new expansion pack Bethesda is releasing in March.

Though the world of “Oblivion” is quite beautiful and full of life, the setting can become stale after a few hundreds hours of play. But Bethesda plans on remedying this by releasing the “Shivering Isles” in late March.

It would’ve been quite easy for Bethesda to have simply added new quests and items to the already huge world of “Oblivion,” but they have gone above and beyond what most expansion packs have to offer. “Shivering Isles,” first and foremost, introduces a new plane of existence, the Realm of Madness or more commonly known as the Shivering Isles, that is 25% the size of Cyrodiil for eager adventurers to explore. This new locale will also include two distinctly different lands – Mania and Dementia. Each area will also feature a capital city which reflects the land it is located in – Mania’s capital being Bliss while Dementia’s capital city Crucible. There is also a third city called Split which lies, as you can probably guess, between Mania and Dementia. The most odd feature of split is not only that it bridges the gap between the two different lands, but that each citizen in Split has his or her counterpart in the opposite half of the city which will undoubtedly make for some strange, almost Twilight Zone-ian quests.

“Shivering Isles” will also introduce new weapons and items for players to gather on top of new locations and quests. One such weapon is a blade called Dawnfang that will actually level up the more it is used during the day but at night the blade transforms into a different form of the weapon called Duskfang.

Overall, “Shivering Isles” should give gamers hungry for another adventure into the land of Tamriel about 30-40 more hours of gameplay. Considering that this add-on alone packs the content of an original game, it will definitely be worth purchasing from your favorite game retailer or from Xbox Live Marketplace when it is released.

Classics Revisited

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines nostalgia as “a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period” which in other terms means a desire to return to better times in ones life – which for me was the early 90s. Times were simpler and by the same token, so were video games. Before Sony and Microsoft became the giants of the video game industry that they are today, the market was ruled by Nintendo and Sega. Today, Nintendo is still a monster in the video game market but unfortunately for Sega and gamers everywhere, Sega stopped producing gaming consoles around the turn of the millennium after the Dreamcast failed to compete with the Nintendo 64 and the Playstation 2.

But back in the early 90s, Sega was still a dominant force in the gaming industry and their console, the Genesis, had more classics than I can count. At the time, I often noticed within my group of friends that someone owned either a Super Nintendo or a Genesis, but not both – myself being a Genesis kid. One reason for the division in gamers was obviously the fact that we were young and at the mercy of our parents spending but also because of the games that each console offered gamers. The Super Nintendo already had a huge library of established games and characters to draw from – series’ such as Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, and Mario Bros. But the Genesis was unique in that it was the first successful Sega console in America. Being that it was the first major success for Sega in America, the Genesis offered new, different gaming experiences that the Nintendo didn’t offer and opened the door for some of today’s most classic games to be created.

Since saying tearful goodbyes to my beloved Sega Genesis, it had been quite some time since I had played some of my old favorites. Thankfully, Sega released a collection of games not too long ago that satisfied a lot of my nostalgic gaming cravings.

The Sega Genesis Collection for the Playstation 2 is a compilation of 28 classic arcade and console games spanning the entirety of the Genesis’ lifetime. But this compilation doesn’t just feature old and classic Genesis games; surprisingly it also has a lot of extra features.

Most video game compilations feel like hastily thrown together attempts at cashing in on a game’s former popularity, but not this game. This collection includes a feature called the “museum,” which is a quick run down of each game, interesting facts about the game, tips for playing each game, as well as box art from both American and Japanese versions of each game. But the extras don’t stop there. Along with the “museum” included for each game, Sega also added tons of interviews from various people who had integral parts in creating many of the classic games, old school Sega arcade games as well as trailers for new games like Virtua Fighter 5 and Phantasy Star Universe. But the interesting part of these extras is the way that Sega made many of these features unlockable content – which is a great way to add some replay value to a collection of older games. But the greatest addition Sega included in this collection was the ability to create save files for every game – a feature in all modern video games that older, less powerful consoles could not include. Granted, many of these classic games are quite short and can usually be beaten in one sitting, a save feature is still a very nice option to have.

But I know what you’re thinking, “All the great features in the world don’t mean squat if the games aren’t fun.” Well good thing for you that Sega included an incredible amount of classic games on one disc. Games such as all three Golden Axe games, Phantasy Star II,III, & IV, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2, Vectorman 1 & 2, and Comix Zone, as well as including many lesser known, but still great games like Kid Chameleon, Bonanza Bros., and Decap Attack plus many more great games.

While this collection does sport an impressive amount of classic games, Genesis had so many amazing games that one collection of this sort just doesn’t do the console justice. If Sega, and I’m hoping against hope they will, releases a second collection of this type, some other classics I’d like to see would be Gunstar Heroes, Toe Jam and Earl, and Sonic Spinball, just to name a few.

I would absolutely recommend this collection to anyone who wants to relive Sega’s glory days or to anyone who still enjoys the games of days past. Oh and by the way, this whole collection is only $20 – which should be more than enough of a reason for any nostalgic gamer to need to own this game.

PS3: Is it worth your cash?

As a video game geek with his own column, it is my duty – nay, my privilege to provide my fellow students with information. With this current round of the console wars in full swing, the biggest question on gamer’s minds is, “Which system is right for me?” This question is never an easy one to answer, especially since buying a console always entails buying a few games and perhaps an extra controller as well.

With three consoles out on the market right now, picking the console to best suit your gaming needs is not easy – but with a little advice from Grizzly Gaming, hopefully you’ll be able to narrow down your choices.

For years, Sony has been on top of the console market. They have consistently out sold their competitors and always seemed to have the most popular games being released on their system. But as with everything in life, time brings change. Now, instead of being the innovators in the industry, Sony and the Playstation 3 have been garnering media attention for all the wrong reasons. With a lackluster collection of PS3 launch titles, fewer than expected PS3 units shipped at launch, and a gasp-inducing price tag of $500-$600, the PS3 almost seems doomed from the start.

What makes a system a “must own”? Is it the price tag? Is it the hardware a console has under the hood? Or could it be the innovations made with the console controller, like Nintendo did with the “Wii-mote”? The biggest piece of the console war puzzle boils down to what system can produce the best line-up of games. Unfortunately for Sony, their line up of launch titles is anything but awe-inspiring. Practically every launch title for the PS3 is offered on other, cheaper consoles. Aside from the first person shooter “Resistance: Fall of Man”, the launch titles the PS3 offers hardly make the system seem worthy of 600 hundred of your hard earned dollars. But the problem with Sony’s collection of games only begins with the launch titles. Killer titles like “Grand Theft Auto 4” and “Assassin’s Creed” were originally believed to be Sony exclusives. Unfortunately for Sony, it was announced that “GTA 4” would release on the Xbox 360 the same day as the PS3 version and according to Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine, “Assassins Creed” was never meant to be a PS3 exclusive. Apparently, Sony asked the developer of “Assassins Creed”, Ubisoft, to keep the 360 version a secret. But the most devastating, and almost unbelievable, rumor I have heard concerning the PS3 game library also came from EGM. It seems that Konami, the company responsible for the stellar “Metal Gear Solid” series, has been told to start porting their latest game “MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots” to the Xbox 360. If this is true, it means Sony will have lost two of their biggest exclusive franchises, “GTA” and “MGS”, which gives gamers even less incentive to shell out big bucks for a PS3.

From the beginning, Sony made it known that there would not be many PS3s available on the launch date. Sony stated that they would ship around 400,000 PS3 units at launch and that they hoped to ship nearly 2 million units before the end of 2006. As it turns out, Sony seems to be making promises they may not be able to keep. According to the website GameDaily Biz and analyst PJ McNealy of American Technology Research, Sony may have only shipped as few as 125,000 PS3s to all of North America. This number also included the 15,000 consoles sent to stores to be used in promotional kiosks. McNealy then went on to comment that Sony’s promise of 2 million PS3s before the end of the year was “under review”.

It also seems that Sony is losing money on manufacturing the PS3. According to the research firm iSuppli, it costs Sony approximately $840 to manufacture the 60GB PS3 console. Granted, it isn’t unusual for a company to expect lose money on a recently released console instead hoping that eventually the console will become a big hit and manufacturing prices gradually drop. In Sony’s case, however, this could prove to be an insurmountable sum of money lost. But why should a loss of only $240 per console be any kind of worry to the international giant that is Sony, you ask? The answer to this question lies in media format which Sony chose to use in the PS3.

Blu-Ray is a word that may be foreign to some, but Sony hopes to make this term as common as VHS or DVD. While Blu-Ray technology is still in its infancy, Sony hopes that by integrating it in the PS3 that Blu-Ray will eventually become the standard. This is most definitely a gutsy move on Sony’s part. Blu-Ray could either be an enormous success of epic proportions, or Blu-Ray could ultimately go the way of Beta-Max and be a disaster. Based on nothing more than my personal opinion and a life time of gaming, I’m not giving Blu-Ray much of a chance for survival. Blu-Ray discs are more costly to manufacture than HD-DVDs and while Blu-Ray does boast an impressive 50GB of storage space per disc, no game has ever come close to needing that kind of data storage space. Plus, because Blu-Ray is a new format, they require their own special player. Currently, Blu-Ray players begin retailing at around $1000. The argument can be made in Sony’s defense that selling a device with the ability to play Blu-Ray discs is a veritable steal, one must remember Blu-Ray is new and not many worth while movies have been released on Blu-Ray yet - unless you consider Adam Sandler’s latest film “Click” (the first movie released on Blu-Ray) to be worth a $600-$1000 investment.

But one of the most unforeseen arguments made against the PS3 is an event which hasn’t even happened yet – the release of a Playstation 4. I can imagine your confusion but allow me to elaborate. Apparently, some analysts are predicting that the PS3 will be Sony’s last foray into the blood stained battle field of the console wars. This idea was brought about when Sony Computer Entertainment America president Kaz Hirai took over the position of SCE president from Ken Kutagari shortly after the PS3 was released. Many believe that Hirai will begin to move away from hardware production and begin to focus Sony solely toward producing software. Now, this is all entirely speculation with no physical evidence that Sony is going the way of Sega and becoming a third party game publisher but these claims are at least based in reality and aren’t merely internet rumors. I bring this up to point out that if Sony does begin to move away from hardware production, support for the PS3 may begin to dwindle and you are essentially left with a $600 paperweight.

The PS3 could conceivably rise above the competition and take its place atop the gaming world like its little brother the PS2 – though I’m not predicting it to. The price tag is far too high for even hardcore gamers like myself to consider, the game line-up (even exclusives) isn’t anything special, and the Blu-Ray capabilities just don’t give the PS3 enough of a “wow” factor to merit a purchase. Now, if you’ve got your heart set on a PS3 (or you happen to be a Playstation fanboy-and if you don’t know what that is chances are you aren’t one), its likely this article won’t dissuade you from buying one. But if you belong to the majority of gamers who play their current gen systems all the while fantasizing about a shiny, new next gen console – the only thing I have to say to you is do yourself a favor and spend that $600 on an Xbox 360 or a Nintendo Wii.

Gaming goes major

These days, Americans treat their sports heroes like royalty. People of all ages look up to sports stars as role models for a multitude of reasons. They’re successful, famous, rich and above all, talented. But until recently, a qualification of being a sports hero was being big, strong and athletic – which is something most hardcore gamers typically are not. Now, thanks to video gaming leagues like Major League Gaming for console players and the Cyberathlete Professional League for PC players, gamers young and old can aspire to become a star in the sport of their choice – fragging noobs.

Major League Gaming, otherwise known as MLG, was created in 2002 and even though it is a relatively new organization, it already has a large following. MLG organizes and runs various console gaming tournaments but the Super Bowl of the MLG is its Pro Circuit tournament. But the unique aspect of MLG is that, unlike major sports organizations, anyone can sign up for a tournament and compete against the best in the world.

Each year, the Pro Circuit tours various cities in North America. This years Pro Circuit, starting in April in Charlotte, North Carolina, will showcase the best of the best in console gaming.

Currently, the only games used for the Pro Circuit are “Halo 2” for the Xbox and “Super Smash Bros. Melee” for the Gamecube. In the past other games such as “Tekken 5”, “Soul Calibur”, and “Gran Turismo” were played on the Pro Circuit but were not as big of successes as “Halo 2” or “SSBM.” It should come as no surprise to gamers that these two games are the only ones played on the Pro Circuit, given their incredible popularity and the ease with which each game can support larger amounts of players.

In the “Halo 2” MLG tournaments, for example, participants can sign up with a team of four for the 4v4 tournament, where teams compete against other teams for gaming glory. Gamers can also sign up for the FFA, or free for all, tournaments where the games are everyone for themselves.

There are already heated rivalries between teams in MLG, but players compete with much more than pride on the line on the Pro Circuit. Thanks to sponsorships from companies such as Red Bull, Scion, and Boost Mobile, the MLG is able to offer fairly large prizes for tournament victory. Though the prize money wouldn’t be considered large to the average sports star, being awarded thousands of dollars for playing video games isn’t too shabby. In the 2006 MLG Pro Circuit, the top prize for the “Halo 2” 4v4 tournament was $100,000. Though that prize money is split between the four teammates, it is still enough for a young gamer to scrape out a living playing video games.

But the Pro Circuit isn’t the only tournament that MLG runs. Currently, MLG is running an online “Halo 2” tournament and soon plans to run online tournaments for “Gears of War” as well as “Rainbow Six: Vegas.”

One interesting aspect of the MLG is the fact that they offer their top participants contracts to play exclusively for MLG. This practice is different from other gaming organizations in which teams are sponsored by independent companies rather than the league itself. MLG has signed its top team, Final Boss, to a $1 million deal as well as signing the two other top teams, Carbon and Str8 Rippin, to equally large contracts. Though the practice of signing contracts with MLG no doubt has an affect on the players ability to participate in other gaming tournaments, one must consider that a large majority of the signed players are still in their teens or their 20s making their contract deals more than lucrative.

Still not convinced that playing video games professionally could someday be as popular as football or baseball? Professional gamers have been featured in an episode of MTV’s “True Life” series as well as in a special which CBS’ 60 Minutes interviewed one pro gamer named Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, who is considered one of the top gamers in the world. MLG also was featured in a series of specials on the USA Network, which aired weekly from November to December, which showcased various matches and tournaments from the Pro Circuit.

Some gamers have even parlayed their gaming success into other careers. Thomas “Tsquared” Taylor, widely regarded as one of the top “Halo 2” players in the world, took his talent for “Halo 2” and created the website Gaming Lessons, www.gaming-lessons.com, in August 2005. The site offers up to hour long training sessions from various pro players for as little as $15.

Unfortunately just like making it in the NFL or MLB, becoming a pro gamer is not as easy as just being good at a particular game. Since the field of professional gaming is still in its infancy, there are not many opportunities for gamers to make it to the big time, with even less of a chance of being able to make a living playing video games.

Even though it would be a dream come true to make a living playing “Halo 2,” I’m just as happy to think that future generations of gamers could grow up in a world where professional gamers are considered just as talented as professional athletes.

Does “Maximo vs. Army of Zin” top the original “Maximo: Ghosts to Glory”?

If anyone has played the original Maximo game, you’ll know this game is very much like old NES games such as “Ghosts ‘n Goblins”. The original game, “Maximo: Ghosts to Glory” revolves around the hero Maximo battling the undead minions of the evil King Achille. The sequel, “Maximo vs. Army of Zin”, follows in the originals footsteps with Maximo fighting the evil Zin army, an army of machines driven by captured souls. Maximo is charged with finding the source of these Zin machines and stopping whoever is leading them.

“Maximo vs. Army of Zin” is a platformer game (a game where you have to jump perilously from level to level) on the Playstation 2 game console. The original Maximo game was notorious for its difficulty and the creators have toned this down to suit more casual gamers. While this game is certainly not easy, it is not as difficult as the original “Maximo: Ghosts to Glory”. This is both a blessing and a downfall. The lowered difficulty will allow for more casual gamers to become involved in the game and storyline while allowing them to have fun. However, the lowered difficulty also means this game will be easier to complete in less time. Though this game will take less time to finish, there can be many more countless hours spent mastering each level by completing specific goals such as: destroying a certain amount of enemies, collecting a specific amount of treasure or rescuing a certain number of innocents from the Army of Zin. As a reward for those brave enough to master and complete these extra objectives, the game unlocks bonus items such as galleries of original character sketches and original storyboards of the in-game movies. The controls in this game also make earning rewards much easier. They are more responsive than the first Maximo game and make the combat much more fun. Though the camera view did sometimes force you to make uncertain jumps, the controls and camera for the most part are as tight and responsive and you could want them to be.

While the graphics in “Maximo vs. Army of Zin” are a little on the cartoon side, they are still some of the most polished and clean looking visuals I have seen on the Playstation 2 in some time. The movies in this game look amazing. I was sad to find out there were only a few movies that did not use the in game graphics. If you’re looking for excessive blood and gore, you won’t find it here. “Maximo vs. Army of Zin” is rated T for teen because of its cartoon violence.

Overall, I had a very good time playing this game. This is one of those games that is easy to pick up and play but difficult to master. A couple parts were a little frustrating, but that made conquering them all the more sweet. As fun as the game was, beating it without unlocking everything only took a short time. If you plan on mastering this game or are a fan of the original, this is definitely a game you want to own. If you plan on just having fun with it or are new to the series, this game is still worth the price of a rental. Either way, you’re going to have a great time playing “Maximo vs. Army of Zin”.

‘Manhunt’ for the Playstation 2 is not for the faint of heart

First, “Grand Theft Auto 3” pushed the boundaries of excessive violence and gore. The lines were then pushed farther back when “GTA 3’s” sequel “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” was released. But since Rockstar, the producers of the GTA series, released “Manhunt” for the Playstation 2, “GTA 3” and “GTA: Vice City” look tame. “Manhunt” is without a doubt the most violent and obscene game I have played in my entire life. While this game may be too excessive for some, underneath all the blood and guts there is a game that is worth playing.

“Manhunt” is a game which takes place in fictional Carcer City and is centered around James Earl Cash, a convicted felon who is on death row awaiting his execution. Cash is sentenced to lethal injection but wakes up a few hours later to find out he is in fact not dead at all but now caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. The supposed lethal injection was nothing more than a strong sedative administered by the corrupt Darkwoods Penitentiary staff. Cash now must kill or be killed in the corrupt and forgotten Carcer City where his only guide the same man who imprisoned him in this cruel fate, a man known only as Starkweather. Cash is now forced to defend himself from numerous different gangs all out for one thing, Cash’s blood. Cash must use whatever he can to dispatch these “hunters”, as the game refers to them, but above all else Cash’s most important weapon is stealth. If Cash can outwit his enemies, he may live through the nightmare that is now his life.

“Manhunt” is a stealth action/adventure game on the Playstation 2 game console. This game is not like most stealth games in that you don’t get a radar in the traditional sense of the word. The radar in this game is based the sound you and your enemies make. If you are walking on certain noisy surfaces such as gravel, your enemies will hear this and investigate the noises they hear. Sprinting will also cause nearby enemies to become cautious and check where the noise came from. Your radar will also only register your enemy’s presence if they are making noise as well, or if they are actively searching for you. The enemy intelligence in this game is also very high. The first few gangs you encounter are not very bright but as the game progresses, the gangs become smarter. Killing and escaping these hunters also becomes more difficult as the game carries on. As the gangs become more intelligent, killing them also becomes more difficult. The way you are awarded points in this game is based on how violently you kill the hunters. There are three different levels of kills in this game; quick, violent and gruesome. The more violent the kill, the longer it takes for Cash to set it up. Consequently, the more violent the kill, the more points Cash is awarded for them.

The control set up in this game is easy to get understand and simple for anyone to pick up and learn. Many of the controls are explained to you in the first level of the game, much like a tutorial. I found this to be very helpful when I first started playing the game. The graphics are also good for the setting of the game. They are dark and dismal, but they can be a little grainy at times.

As I stated before, this game is very, very violent and disturbing at some points. This game is definitely not for everyone. “Manhunt” is rated M for intense violence, strong language, and blood and gore. If you’re a fan of stealth action games and are not easily bothered by blood, gore and disturbing scenes of violence then you will definitely want to give “Manhunt” a try. But if you are squeamish, do not like excessive violence or do not like stealth games, “Manhunt” is not the game for you. This game can be rented at Blockbuster or purchased at any local electronics store.

“Lost Planet” may leave gamers in the cold

Hello gamers, I’m glad you’ve decided to come back and join me for another round of Grizzly Gaming. Now that the Xbox 360 has been around for the better part of a year, developers can now start to fully harness the power that lies under the 360’s hood – and one game which easily demonstrates this claim is “Lost Planet: Extreme Condition”.

Taking place on an icy, snow covered world named E.D.N. III, much of the story in “Lost Planet” centers around a young man named Wayne who has been stricken with a most unfortunate case of amnesia. Not remembering anything about his past other than his name, his ability to fight, and the memory of his father being killed by a giant Akrid called “Green Eye”. Now just what in the heck is an “Akrid” you ask? Why they’re the native species on E.D.N. III and not only are they incredibly hostile towards humans, but they come in a variety of shapes and sizes – ranging from no bigger than Wayne himself, to absolutely dwarfing our hero. Given how incredibly large some of the Akrid are, expect some epic boss battles.

The story of Wayne taking revenge on an overgrown space bug isn’t the entirety of “Lost Planet’s” plot – even though it might as well be. The rest of the story about snow pirates and a shadowy, evil corporation called “NEVEC” is so convoluted and, quite frankly, boring that following the storyline is almost more trouble than it’s worth. Good thing for “Lost Planet” that the game play more than makes up for the forgettable storyline.

In “Lost Planet”, there are two main enemies – rival snow pirates and the Akrid. But the most constant enemy in “Lost Planet” is an unseen one. The planet of E.D.N. III is primarily covered in snow and ice. The unyielding cold constantly drains Wayne’s T-Energy and eventually his health. T-Energy, or thermal energy, is vital to Wayne’s survival. A special device Wayne wears on his arm, called a harmonizer, converts T-Energy into health and also energy used to power certain weapons which Wayne uses as well as power mech-like Vital Suits, or VS’. T-Energy can be collected from killing enemies as well as found by securing data posts, which are scattered all about levels and serve as way-points to tell Wayne where to go next.

An interesting feature of “Lost Planet’s” game play is the ability to use VS weapons while on foot. Wayne can only carry two weapons at once, storing one on his back while the other is in use. The ability to use VS weapons helps greatly when the protection of a VS is no where to be found.

But perhaps the most intriguing part of “Lost Planet” is the grappling hook that Wayne has at his disposal. A gadget very reminiscent of “Bionic Commando” for the NES, the grappling hook allows Wayne to reach heights he wouldn’t be able to without the help of a VS.

While many games today seem to be trying to achieve the highest level of realism from next-gen systems as possible, developer Capcom has packed “Lost Planet” with so much over-the-top, non-stop, don’t stop shooting ‘til everything’s dead action that you’ll hardly be able to put the controller down. The graphics in “Lost Planet” are also a huge draw for this game. The environments, character models, enemies and especially the explosions and smoke effects contained in “Lost Planet” are without a doubt some of the sickest but at the same time most beautiful graphics I’ve ever seen. Even the Akrid monsters look so amazing, you’ll almost feel bad about sending them to an icy grave.

Though “Lost Planet” packs a graphical wallop, this game is not without a myriad of problems, quirks, and “Wha..?” inspiring features. For instance, was it really necessary to include big, bright weak spots/ bullseye’s on each Akrid enemy? Did Capcom suspect that gamers wouldn’t be able to figure out how to kill enemies without these giant, glowing beacons on each enemy? Another strange quirk is noticed when using the grappling hook. The hook is very helpful in accessing un-reachable areas, but players can only use the grappling hook when they are planted firmly on the ground. Wayne also seems to suffer from sort of strange neck injury, since he is unable to look up and down past a certain point. This can get quite annoying when battling enemies who are able to fly overhead and damage Wayne and the only thing Wayne can do is physically move to be able to get an appropriate angle on his enemy. “Lost Planet” also makes use of practically every button on the 360 controller – which is both a blessing and a curse. The controls take a little too long to get acquainted with (for instance using the left and right shoulder buttons to make quick, 90 degree turns), but give the player a great deal of control over Wayne once they are mastered.

The argument can be made that even the game play in “Lost Planet” gets repetitive too quickly, and it is easy to see why. Normally the game follows as such – Wayne gets a mission, he goes out and kills everything in his path, perhaps fights a boss, and the mission’s over.

“Lost Planet” multiplayer features four different game types, the ability to gain levels, and compete over Xbox Live. Multiplayer will keep your attention for a while, but in the end it is simply not as much fun as other games that are Live compatible, such as “Gears of War”.

It is unfortunate that “Lost Planet” suffers from so many small problems, because “Lost Planet” could’ve truly been one of the next big franchises for the 360. As it stands now, though, “Lost Planet” is only another in the long line of graphical endowed, but substance lacking 360 games to come out recently. For those who enjoy mindless action and insane explosions, “Lost Planet” is absolutely worth renting. But for those expecting a deep story and challenging game play, “Lost Planet” will surely disappoint.

Prey for the Xbox 360 doesn’t live up to its potential

Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the stars? That maybe, somewhere out in the darkness of space, there is another form of intelligent life just waiting to make contact with us. But instead of these extraterrestrials wanting to come in peace and share with us the secrets of the universe, they came to conquer humanity and perform strange experiments on any human they can manage to kidnap. This is the world that Prey for the Xbox 360 drops you into.

In Prey, you play as Tommy, a modern day Cherokee Indian who has lost touch with his Native American faith and heritage. Tommy lives on a reservation with his girlfriend and his grandfather, who he cares deeply for but wishes they would share his desire the leave the reservation. One night while Tommy is visiting his girlfriend at the bar she works in they hear strange reports on the radio about lights in the sky and UFO’s when suddenly, the lights begin attacking the bar and everything goes to hell.

The graphics in Prey are among the slickest you can find on the Xbox 360. Though some of the human character models look like something you would find in an original Xbox game, the enemies in Prey are quite lifelike and well designed. The environments in Prey are amazingly detailed and full of life. The spaceship you are aboard is actually one gigantic living organism and the developers of Prey did a fantastic job creating an otherworldly setting that really made you feel as if you were aboard a starship from an unknown universe.

Prey also has its own unique array of alien weaponry. Prey dismisses the standard FPS weapons in favor of living alien weapons that all have multiple modes of firing.

Prey also introduces gamers to many interesting concepts such as wall walking, portals which take the player to different parts of the ship, and many cool tricks with gravity.

Tommy also has special Cherokee spirit powers which he uses to cheat death and access areas of the ship that would normally be inaccessible to him. One spirit power in particular actually takes more away from the game than it adds. In Prey, death is not permanent for the reluctant hero, Tommy. One of Tommy’s spirit powers is death walking. When Tommy dies, he enters a strange spirit world where he must shoot demons with his bow and arrow to regain lost health and spirit energy before being dropped back into the spaceship where you died. This aspect, while original and creative, severely takes away the difficulty of this game.

For the first few hours of the game, Prey amazes gamers with its anti-gravity tricks and portal hopping around the spaceship. However, these gimmicks eventually wear thin and Prey reveals itself to be a repetitive, mediocre FPS experience that regresses into a standard, straight forward shooter. Prey has all the right tools to be an amazing, ground breaking FPS that changes the way shooters are made, but falls short of this lofty expectation. The shooting becomes repetitious, the setting becomes boring and overdone, and the gimmicks and tricks get stale.

The multiplayer in this game seemed more of an afterthought than an addition. In this modern day of ultra powerful consoles and enormous online gaming communities, Prey’s two multiplayer modes (deathmatch and team deathmatch) just don’t cut it. Plus, the multiplayer suffers from noticeable lag when the action picks up.

Overall, while Prey presents fun new aspects for the first person shooter genre to explore, this creativity just doesn’t last past the first few hours and you’re eventually left with just another first person shooter instead of the revolutionary game that Prey could be.

Next Generation Gaming Previews

As this current generation of video game consoles slowly begins to wane in popularity and a new generation of consoles begins to hit the market, we should take a moment to remember the good times we’ve had with our current crop of video games. But that’s enough thinking about the past. Because who can spend time thinking about old, outdated games when there’s new, incredible looking games on the horizon?

With the Xbox 360 already out and the PS3 and Wii on their way, the next generation of console wars is almost in full swing and there’s a whole boatload of amazing games that you need to be on the look out for.

“Lost Planet: Extreme Condition” – Xbox 360

In this futuristic 3^rd person shooter, you’ll not only be battling hordes of insect like aliens called the Akrid and human “snow pirates”, but you’ll also be contending with the ever present harsh landscape. In “Lost Planet”, you take the role of Wayne, an amnesiac soldier whose father was killed by the Akrid.

As Wayne, you’ll be meeting and subsequently killing Akrid of all shapes and sizes. Some of the enemies you’ll be facing will take up the entire size of the screen making for unbelievably fun boss battles. But the most notable feature of “Lost Planet” is the fact that you will not only be battling the Akrid, but also the freezing temperatures which constantly drain your t-energy(thermal energy). Defeated enemies drop heat packets that will restore small amounts of t-energy which makes so frantic fast paced battles to not only complete the mission, but to stay alive as well.

“Gears of War” – Xbox 360

“Gears of War” is another futuristic 3^rd person shooter coming soon for the 360 but promises a much different type of action than “Lost Planet: Extreme Condition”. Instead of frenzied pace of battle in “Lost Planet”, “Gears of War” presents slower but still action packed game play.

In “Gears of War”, you take control of Marcus Fenix in an apocalyptic battle to save the planet from the Locust Horde, a species of strange creatures from below the earth’s surface. But as you play as Marcus Fenix, don’t expect run and gun game play a la Halo or Quake. In “Gears of War” finding cover is the key to survival. Seeking cover behind anything from destroyed vehicles to fallen buildings is crucial to staying alive long enough to beat back the ruthless Locust Horde. One of the most interesting elements of this game is the chainsaw bayonet that comes on your standard battle rifle which you can use to shred any enemies that invade your personal space.

“Resistance: Fall of Man” – Playstation 3

Imagine, if you will, a world where World War II has never taken place. Instead of the free world uniting against Hitler and the Axis powers, the human race must ban together to save Earth from a vicious race of aliens named the Chimera. This is the world of “Resistance: Fall of Man”.

In this 1^st person shooter’s alternate past, the Chimera have overrun most countries on earth and are now leading an assault on Great Britain, one of the last bastions on the planet for humans. With the appearance of the Chimera, the human race has also incorporated their alien technology into the human weapons of the era. “Resistance” promises a large selection of imaginative weaponry and many of the guns will also have a secondary fire mode.

In a time where it seems like World War II 1^st person shooters grow on trees, it’s good to see a developer inject some new life into an overdone gaming genre.

“Assassin’s Creed” – Playstation 3

Unlike all of the previous games previewed so far, “Assassin’s Creed” will rely on stealth and cunning in place of guns and explosions. In this game you take control of Altair, an apprentice assassin at the castle of Masyaf which is in modern day Syria. As Altair, you find yourself in the time of the Third Crusade. Richard the Lionhearted has led his soldiers into the Holy Land to try and reclaim it for Christianity from the Muslims and it is up to Altair and his assassin brothers to stop the Crusade with as little loss of human life as possible.

Though “Assassin’s Creed” boasts impressive graphics and realistic environments, the main draw of this game will be the computer’s A.I.(artificial intelligence). As you traverse levels, you will undoubtedly draw the attention of the townspeople and guards alike. These characters called NPCs(non-playable characters) are not just hollow inhabitants, but unique characters that all react to your actions. Scale a wall effortlessly and expect a crowd to form and admire your acrobatics. This can also be a double edged sword for a guard may see the large gathering of people and inspect the situation to find you scaling a wall looking for your next victim. But this is only one of many, many situations that could be encountered in “Assassin’s Creed”.

“Red Steel” – Nintendo Wii

Always innovating the landscape of gaming, Nintendo’s unique “Wii” controller is allowing gaming to take a new direction. In “Red Steel”, players will use the “nunchuck” controller to navigate a 1^st person shooter where you use your controller to point and fire at enemies.

Though the “Wii” promises to be the cheapest next-gen console on the market, it will still deliver next-gen graphics and “Red Steel” is a perfect example of how much potential the “Wii” has.

But one of the most notable additions in “Red Steel” will be the sword play. Forget simply pressing a button to swing your sword. In “Red Steel”, players will flail their controllers around to swing their sword and block incoming attacks.

Guitar Hero 2 still rockin’

Ever since the first “Guitar Hero” was released in 2005, the game has spawned a successful sequel, “Guitar Hero 2,” on the Playstation 2 and the series recently made the jump to next generation console gaming platforms. Not long ago, “Guitar Hero 2” was released for the Xbox 360 but don’t be fooled – this isn’t the same game that was put out on the PS2. “GH2” for the 360 has a plethora of new features, updated graphics and a completely new controller that makes rocking out easier than ever.

First up, the most notably different aspect of the 360 version of “GH2” is it’s brand new, Gibson Explorer guitar controller. But a sleeker look isn’t the only upgrade the Explorer has on the old, PS2 Gibson SG guitar controller. The neck of the Explorer is different than that of the SG controller in a few ways – one being that the overall build of the neck is much smaller and easier to grasp. On top of that, the fret buttons on the neck are also shaped slightly differently and set closer together than on the SG, making nailing solos easier than ever. At first I found the redesigned neck to be a little too undersized but after only a few songs, I was rocking like I had been using the Explorer all along.

In addition to the changes made to the neck of the controller, a headphone jack as well as an accessory port has been added to the Explorer. It was also revealed that certain models of the Explorer controller had technical issues with the whammy bar but as of Saturday the 14^th, an update which fixes this problem has been released on Xbox Live free for anyone to download. As of Sunday the 15^th, however, it has come to my attention that the update which fixes the whammy bar problem has caused more than a few people’s 360s to frequently freeze after installing the update. I can only hope that my luck continues through this debacle and my Explorer and 360 continue to work without a hitch, even though I unknowingly bought a supposedly defective controller.

Thankfully, “GH2” sports some new tunes which should take your mind off controller troubles because what would a new “Guitar Hero” game be without new music, right? In the new 360 version of “GH2,” RedOctane added ten brand new songs to the various playlists throughout the game. These newest additions include well known 90s alt-rock hit “Possum Kingdom” by The Toadies, classic rock innovator Alice Cooper’s “Billion Dollar Babies,” and, my personal favorite, heavy metal classic “The Trooper” by Iron Maiden.

But perhaps the most exciting addition to the song list of “GH2” isn’t any one song in particular, but for the first time ever, “GH2” introduces the availability of downloadable songs via Xbox Live Marketplace. Originally, it was thought that songs would be released individually at a price around 80-100 Microsoft points. Unfortunately, the method in which these songs have been released so far is less than ideal.

Thus far, only a few songs have been released for download, all of which were songs from the original “GH.” These songs have only been made available in groups of three songs at a price of 500 Microsoft points, which is equivalent to $6.25 per three-pack. Though this price might not seem very high, one must consider that at this cost, buying every song from the original “GH” over Marketplace would cost nearly $100, which is an outrageous price to charge for songs that most fans of the series have already played. Hopefully, Microsoft will come to their senses and price future songs more reasonably.

“GH2” on the 360 also offers improved visuals as well as new in game features to keep any hard rocker satisfied. Every character, guitar and venue has been graphically overhauled for the 360 version and they all look spectacular. My only complaint about these slick new looks are that I never have time to admire them during shred sessions as all my attention is on nailing notes.

Also new in this version of “GH2” are online score leaderboards, which keep track of your current career score as well as the highest score you received on any single song for ultimate bragging rights about who among your friends is a true guitar hero. Online multiplayer would have also been a great addition to this game and it has been alluded to by RedOctane that online multiplayer will most likely be available sometime in the future in the form of a Marketplace download.

Fortunately for fans of the series, this is only the beginning for RedOctane and “Guitar Hero.” An expansion pack of songs for PS2 “GH2” owners, entitled “Guitar Hero 2: 80s Edition,” will be available in June 2007 as well as the recent announcement that “Guitar Hero 3” would be hitting stores sometime in late 2007 or early 2008 and would available on PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii.

As far as the 360 version of “GH2” is concerned, I would definitely recommend this game to any fan of the series - even if you already own the game on PS2.

Guitar Hero 2 to offer a monstrous final song

Guitar Hero 2, the sequel to last year’s smash hit Guitar Hero, promises to be bigger and better in every way. RedOctane, the developers of the Guitar Hero series, has just revealed Guitar Hero 2’s final song and it is a monster. If you thought the solos in “Cowboys from Hell” and “Bark at the Moon” from the original game were hard just wait until you take on the newest addition to the already huge track list of the sequel. According to www.joystiq.com, Guitar Hero 2 will include “Hanger 18” by Megadeth which is host to a staggering eleven guitar solos.

But ripping solos aren’t the only thing Guitar Hero 2 has to offer. In addition to a track listing of possibly 55 songs, the developers have added more content to the game in every possible way. RedOctane has included more venues to rock out, new playable guitar heroes to choose from in addition to the previous roster of hard rockers, and a promised overall graphical upgrade.

But RedOctane isn’t just making their game look prettier, Guitar Hero 2 will feature a number of significant game play upgrades. Along with the aforementioned “Hanger 18”, Guitar Hero 2 will also include songs from a number of well known musicians such as Anthrax, Aerosmith, Nirvana, Primus, Van Halen, Guns N’ Roses, Lamb of God, Motley Crue, Alice In Chains, even “Freebird” by Lynard Skynard will make an appearance in this game.

Guitar Hero 2 will also see the addition of three button chords, which will require the player to press three different fret buttons to play a note. Another possible inclusion to this game will be the ability to pick whether you want to play lead guitar, rhythm guitar or bass guitar. This addition has been rumored to be part of the game for some time, but when Guitar Hero 2 developer John Tam was asked in a July 27^th Gamespot.com interview whether or not these play modes will be available in the sequel, he only replied that “lead guitar will be first and foremost”.

RedOctane has also revamped the career mode completely. No longer will players perform songs simply to make money in order to unlock secret songs or characters. In the sequel, you and your band will start off small competing in high school battle of the bands and eventually work your way up to playing larger venues and hitting bigger paydays. The career mode isn’t the only mode that’s being reworked. RedOctane has also stated that the practice and co-op (cooperative) modes will be improved. In the practice mode, players will be able to pick certain parts of a song (for example the first verse or the chorus) to practice so now players will be able to practice specific trouble spots in a particular song without needing to play the entire track. The original co-op mode will return along with a mode where both players will play the complete song at the same time.

With all the additions that RedOctane has confirmed and hinted at including in Guitar Hero 2, it is clear that wannabe rock stars everywhere will have more than enough to keep them occupied when Guitar Hero 2 is released November 7^th, 2006 for the Playstation 2 console.

No need to “F.E.A.R.” this excellent game

If horror movies like “The Ring” and “Saw” have taught us anything, it’s that people like being scared. For the most part, people love the small rush of adrenaline from getting scared out of their seats by a movie. But ever since games like “Alone in the Dark” (not the awful movie which asked us to believe Tara Reid was a scientist) and “Resident Evil”, cheap thrills and scares have found their way from the big screen to gaming consoles.

“F.E.A.R.” (First Encounter Assault Recon) for the Xbox 360 puts you in control of a soldier working for a secret government agency named F.E.A.R. which was created to combat paranormal threats. The player’s character, referred to only as the Point Man, is tasked with stopping a madman named Paxton Fettel and his army of soldiers. But Fettel is no ordinary psychopath. He has strong psychic powers which he uses to control an army of clone super soldiers, the Replica army, created by the government. As the Point Man, you have extremely heightened senses and reflexes and you alone have the skills to find Fettel and stop him. But hidden beneath the cliché main story about stopping a maniac and his army is a story with more twists and turns than an M. Night Shyamalan movie. While trying to find Fettel, you will discover government conspiracies, uncover the truth about the Point Man’s mysterious past, and what a strange little girl named Alma has to do with Fettel and your character.

As the name of the game implies, “F.E.A.R.” is not your average first person shooter (FPS). “F.E.A.R.” brilliantly weaves intense big budget movie action with a horror story comparable to anything Hollywood has created lately. Make no mistake, this game is not for the weak of heart. The horror aspects of this game will make you second guess everything you see and the pulse pounding fire fights will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final credits begin to roll.

The graphics in this game are nothing short of spectacular. Thanks to the power of the 360 “F.E.A.R.” showcases some truly chill inducing environments. Objects and people cast realistic shadows on walls and floors which perfectly conveys this game’s creepy atmosphere. Bullets leave areas pock marked with small craters while realistic smoke and dust fly around during firefights accordingly. The sound in “F.E.A.R.” also accompanies the eerie atmosphere perfectly. The music and sound effects fits appropriately with the action as well as lend themselves nicely to the spooky sections of the game.

The power of the 360 also allows for one more critical element of first person shooters to be achieved - realistic violence. And be warned, this game is violent. Blood and gore are not in short supply in “F.E.A.R.”. Body parts flying through the air and blood dripping from strange stains on the ceiling are par for the course in “F.E.A.R.”. The sniper rifle-like particle cannon makes skeletons of your enemies, the shotgun blasts heads off sending them flying through the air spraying blood like candy from some sort of macabre piñata and the penetrator fires bolts which can pin your hapless enemies into walls. You get the picture - “F.E.A.R.” is not for anyone with a weak stomach or can’t stand a few hundred gallons of pixilated blood.

But even the best graphics in the world don’t make a game fun to play. However, “F.E.A.R.” is blessed with good looks as well as delivering loads of fun. The intense shoot outs are great fun not only because the game looks and plays well, but because “F.E.A.R.” has some of the smartest A.I. (artificial intelligence) a video game has ever had. The enemies in “F.E.A.R.” don’t blindly rush at you while you fire at them like in some shooters. The Replica soldiers take cover when fired upon, give each other covering fire while moving closer to your position, and will try to flank you if given a chance. Replica soldiers also vault over walls, jump through windows, rappel from helicopters and climb over all types of objects to get better cover – intelligence like this has rarely been seen in games until this current generation of powerful consoles.

“F.E.A.R.” also plays very well. Though there are a few too many controls (Why is there a way to holster your weapon in a first person shooter?) and they are laid out a little confusingly. “F.E.A.R.” also makes very good use of bullet time which is very reminiscent of “Max Payne” and “The Matrix”. This ability is called “reflex time” and is available because of the Point Man’s extraordinary reflexes and agility.

Even with all of this great content, “F.E.A.R.” does lack some replay value. Aside from varying difficulty levels, there is not much of any reason to play through the single player game more than once. “F.E.A.R.” also features an online multiplayer mode that has a plethora of different game types. However, there is no co-op (cooperative) mode to speak of for either online or offline game types. Though “F.E.A.R.” was originally a PC game, the 360 version includes an option called “Instant Action”. This mode drops you into a map with enemies scattered about. The faster you dispatch of your enemies, the higher your score and high scores can be posted on the Instant Action Leaderboards.

“F.E.A.R.” for the Xbox 360 is practically a must own. Some may be put off by its ridiculously high amount of violence, but many gamers will revel in it’s over the top action. Any fan of first person shooters will most likely highly enjoy “F.E.A.R.” and those who think they might like it should rent it and see just how much fun it is to pin a clone soldier into a wall with a metal spike.

New series “Dexter” creates new kind of hero

Dexter Morgan is not your average police officer. By day, Dexter analyzes blood spatter at crime scenes for the Miami-Dade Police Department but by night, Dexter hunts criminals that have slipped past the justice system.

Based on the novel “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” by Jeff Lindsay, Michael C. Hall, best known for his role on “Six Feet Under”, plays Dexter Morgan. Orphaned as a child, Dexter was adopted by Harry Morgan, a well respected officer for the Miami-Dade Police Department. But Dexter has a secret –a talent and desire to kill.

Luckily, Harry was able to teach Dexter how to control his secret and channel his abilities toward more positive ends. Harry taught Dexter how to use his skills to serve justice while also teaching him how to ensure he won’t be caught. Dexter also takes a souvenir from all of his victims – a small sample of blood which he keeps hidden in a box in his apartment.

Dexter also lacks something most normal people have – emotions. Not only does he need to disguise his true nature, but he must also try to copy the emotions normal people feel. The mystery that is Dexter goes deeper than any murder case he could ever cover.

Dexter’s sister, Deborah, also knows nothing of Dexter’s double life. Deb, played by Jennifer Carpenter, works as a homicide cop along side Dexter in Miami. Though Deb is street smart, she is still new to the police force and unsure of herself. Though Deb has a good head on her shoulders for police work, she still relies on Dexter for help in cracking difficult cases.

Dexter must also keep his secret from his commitment-minded girlfriend Rita and her two children. Rita, who is recovering from a very abusive relationship, is as unsure how to act with Dexter as he is with her.

Though the series is fairly new to Showtime, Dexter has already had his share of victims. In the pilot, Dexter kills a child molester who escaped being brought to justice and in the second episode; Dexter stalks a serial drunk driver about to be acquitted of murder.

But while Dexter keeps his murders a secret, a rival serial killer has been displaying his gruesome murders all around Miami. This rival killer also apparently knows Dexter’s true identity and Dexter is left to determine how much he really knows. Dubbed the “Ice Truck Killer” for his first murders, the rival killer would cut up bodies in the freezing cold compartment of an ice truck to stop the flow of blood in his victims. Dexter must try to discover who his rival is before he exposes Dexter’s secret but so far, the “Ice Truck Killer” has managed to stay one step ahead.

On the surface, this show may appear to be just another “CSI” rip-off but “Dexter” combines a dark but appealing sense of humor with great character development to create a show unlike any other. Though “Dexter” is a new series, it already shows great potential. The exploits of pseudo-hero Dexter are quite morbid, they make for intriguing stories and even more interesting characters. “Dexter” airs every Sunday at 11 pm on the Showtime network.

Crackdown plus Halo 3 previews

If you happen to know me outside of reading this column, or just haven’t pieced it together by now, I am a pretty big Xbox fanboy. Ever since the first time I played “Halo”, my original Xbox and my 360 have held a special place in my heart. With that knowledge, it should come as no surprise to hear that I did a double take when I found out that I could play Halo 3 months and months before it was released. Granted, I could only play it by purchasing an upcoming game, “Crackdown”, for the Xbox 360. By purchasing “Crackdown”, gamers will also be buying a special code which will allow them to participate in the “Halo 3” multiplayer beta test. The beta test will allow gamers to play through a completed, but not final, build of the multiplayer features of “Halo 3”, which includes new maps, weapons, and in game features. But for now, I’ll get back to talking about a game I’ve actually gotten to play.

Though, “Crackdown” isn’t slated for release until February 20^th, a free demo of the game was recently released on Xbox Live Marketplace. Even though I whole-heartedly planned on buying “Crackdown” regardless of how good it was, I was quite anxious to see whether I’d be buying a game or a $60 beta test code and a trade-in come February 20^th.

Though the demo of “Crackdown” is a little more than a gig in size, it packs a lot of features into the relatively large file. In “Crackdown” you play as a super powered police officer working for the Agency, an all powerful police force, in the fictional Pacific City. Pacific City is built on a series on islands, each of which is controlled by a different gang and it is up to you take down everyone from street thugs to kingpins.

While it seems like impossible odds at first, your agent has super human powers and as the game progresses, these powers become stronger the more you use each. For instance, the more enemies you kill with guns, the better you get at using firearms. The categories you can level up range from firearms to agility, which when leveled up to allow you to jump from building to building. While in the demo you can max out your stats, it is unclear how fast these stats will increase in the final version of the game. Your agent can also recover control of Agency check points which act as points to revive your character if he happens to die, but they also act as weapons lockers to store any new weapons you may acquire in the course of taking down various gangs. Your agent can only carry two weapons at a time, but these checkpoints are in close enough proximity to each other to allow for easy access.

“Crackdown” most easily can be compared to the “Grand Theft Auto” series being that it is a third person action/adventure game. However, this similarity is no coincidence being that “Crackdown” was created by David Jones, who helped create the original “Grand Theft Auto”. This game is even reminiscent of the “GTA” series in the control scheme. But “Crackdown” has one thing that “GTA” fans have been whining about since its creation – cooperative online multiplayer. Now you and a friend can team up and take down the scum of Pacific City or just simply create as much chaos as possible.

“Crackdown’s” graphics are quite smooth and looks slightly cell-shaded, almost as if it were an animated comic book. For a demo, the game controls fairly well, but has plenty of quirks that need to be remedied before the final version is released. For example, your agent has the ability to scale buildings by jumping and grabbing onto ledges but too often your agent is positioned just slightly off and will not make a crucial ledge grab which usually results in you plummeting to the ground and having to start your ascent over. The camera also has some problems that need to be fixed, especially when your agent is in a confined area. But overall, “Crackdown” is on the right path to being a fresh take on the tried and true open-ended world game.

But what if the premise wears too thin after longer hours of gameplay? What if jumping from building to building a la Neo in “The Matrix”, shooting gang bangers and tossing grenades gets stale? Well luckily for those who get bored quick, the first wave of “Crackdown” games released will be packaged with the aforementioned “Halo 3” multiplayer beta test code. And for those raging “Halo” fans out there, there are plenty of new features in multiplayer to make “Crackdown” worth buying if only for the beta code.

In addition to a new matchmaking system, which is based both on skill as well as experience, “Halo 3” includes a truckload of new features.

The beta test will include new maps but also many, many new weapons for players to use. Master Chief will have a new assault rifle at his disposal, which looks eerily similar to the rifle in the original “Halo”. Bungie has assured fans that even though this rifle looks similar, it is not just a cop-out, rehashing of the original assault rifle. A new anti-vehicle weapon, called the Spartan Laser, will also be available to Master Chief. The Brute race, who is the primary enemy in “Halo 3”, also adds a few new weapons to the “Halo” universe. The first is a weapon that fires spiked bolts at high speeds and can be double wielded much like the human SMG. The second is a new type of grenade which sticks into any surface it is thrown into and when detonated hurls metal spikes in the direction of the explosion.

One new vehicle Bungie has added into “Halo 3” is the Mongoose ATV. Though the Mongoose has significantly less armor than the Warthog jeep, it is much quicker making it ideal for games of capture the flag. The Mongoose also only allows for one other player to ride directly behind the driver (a move which Bungie jokingly refers to as “riding brokeback” in reference to “Brokeback Mountain”). But perhaps one of the biggest surprises in “Halo 3’s” multiplayer is the introduction of the “man cannon” (cue the juvenile jokes). This new method of transportation catapults players hundreds of feet in the air and even though it will be difficult, players can attack and be attacked mid-flight.

In my opinion, the final version of “Crackdown” will most likely be worth buying, with or without the beta code. But if you are a fan of the “Halo” series and you’ve played “Halo 2” so often you’re surprised your disc even still works, $60 for a new game as well as new “Halo” action is worth every penny.

"Crackdown" on this surprisingly fun game

Superheroes and the concept of super powers have always fascinated people. From comic books and movies, superheroes captivate people’s imagination and almost always leave people wishing for a super power of their own. Whether it’s the power of flight or super strength, people yearn for the ability to do the amazing. Luckily, “Crackdown” for the Xbox 360 lets players fulfill the role of a police agent with super human powers and bust the skulls of the criminals of Pacific City.

Pacific City, the ficitional setting of “Crackdown”, has been overrun by three different gangs and as an agent, it is your job to find and take out 21 different crime bosses in an effort to liberate Pacific City. Each gang inhabits a different section of Pacific City, each which reflects the different gangs themselves. The street gang, drug peddling Los Muertos live in the residential area of the city, the militia-like Volk make the industrial sector of the city their home, and the corporate Shai-Gen live in the skyscraper lined, downtown section of Pacific City. Each gang also has their own array of vehicles and weapons which the player can commandeer and use in his or her fight against each gang.

The most incredibly fun aspect of “Crackdown,” in my opinion, is the way this game ingenious blends role-playing game elements of character advancement with the non-stop action of a summer blockbuster. Each agent is a blank slate which the player can improve at their leisure. Have a tendency to use grenades or rocket launchers to take out your enemies? Your agent’s explosive skill will level up accordingly and the same goes for the other core abilities. The agility ability is unique, though, in the aspect that it is the only ability that is not directly affected by killing your enemies. Various agility orbs, over 500 in all, are scattered all around Pacific City and these orbs let your character run faster and eventually be able to jump as high as 30 feet in the air.

“Crackdown” has taken the sandbox style of gameplay (the ability for the player to progress through the game as they wish) to another level. From the very beginning of the game, the entire map is open for the player to explore which also means players can attempt to take down the games most difficult crime lords any time they wish. While it is not wise to try and tackle the tougher bosses early on, it is still a nice option to have available.

Pacific City is a visually stunning landscape which is filled with life from the streets to the highest of skyscrapers. The draw distance, the distance the player can actually see in the game world, is also very, very high allowing players who seek a high enough vantage point to be able to see a majority of Pacific City.

Unfortunately, there is very little to “Crackdown” in terms of a storyline. Players are given control of a nameless agent of the peace and are only tasked with killing each gang member, which leaves little room for a plot. But even though gamers shouldn’t buy or rent “Crackdown” hoping for an intricate storyline on the level of “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” this game still offers up a lot of features to keep any gamer happy.

On top of a huge list of Xbox Live Achievements, “Crackdown” offers players various races, boss time trials and my personal favorite mode, online cooperative multiplayer. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, firing heat seeking missiles at enemies is incredibly on its own, but being able to do the same with a buddy over the internet adds a whole new dimension to the free form sandbox game. Once players teamed up with a friend, players can play through the entire campaign mode together or simply wreak havoc – both of which are equally fun.

Even though “Crackdown” is quite lacking the story department, it still offers a ton of extra features to keep gamers occupied. Add on top of that the “Halo 3” multiplayer beta invitation, which will begin sometime this spring, sold with the first round of games sold, “Crackdown” is packed with enough huge explosions, bullets and carnage to keep any bloodthirsty gamer sated.

C & C finally returns

As much as I love frantic, fast paced games where twitch reflexes are the only key to survival, I’ve always had an affinity for real time strategy games (RTS) – which are games where the player is tasked with setting up and running a complex military base as well as building up enough forces to defeat your enemies in real time, as opposed to turn based strategy games where players can only accomplish so much at a time before their opponent has an opportunity to act. But one RTS series has always held a special place in my heart as my favorite of all time – the “Command and Conquer” series. Ever since I fell in love with the original so many years ago, I’ve loved playing each an every “C&C” sequel that has been released.

Though I’ve enjoyed a number of different RTS titles, such as “Starcraft” and “Warcaft,” “C&C” has always set itself apart from other RTS games for a number of different reasons. For starters, throughout the history of “C&C” games there have been a number of different storylines that “C&C” games follow. For example, in addition to the central “C&C” storyline, there is the “Red Alert” series which is set in an alternate history where Hitler has been taken out before the start of WWII, thanks to a time machine built by Einstein, which allowed the Soviet Union to invade Europe. Secondly, part of the charm of the “C&C” series is due to the fact that instead of creating virtual characters to inhabit the series, “C&C” uses live actors. Though live acting in video games has always been a little cheesy, it is a clever aspect that has always set “C&C” apart from other RTS games.

But, as I stated earlier, “C&C” is made up of a few different storylines and as interesting as the “Red Alert” series is, I’ve always found the original “C&C” storyline to be more intriguing. In this universe, a mysterious element, named Tiberium, has found its way to earth and two groups vie for control of this deadly, yet powerful, substance. The Brotherhood of Nod, essentially a terrorist organization and led by a secretive man known only as Kane, seeks to harness tiberium and spread it across the world as they see this new element is the future of mankind. In response to the threat that Nod represents, the governments of the world created the Global Defense Initiative, or GDI, to maintain the peace and eliminate Nod. As the conflict continued over the years, the world and it’s people are nearly at a breaking point, which is the setting for the latest “C&C” game, “Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.”

The year is 2047 and due to mass outbreaks of tiberium, which is deadly poisonous to humans, the world has been divided up into three zones – red, yellow and blue zones. Red zones cover 30% of the world and are completely uninhabitable to humans, yellow zones are still highly contaminated and cover 50% of the world but are where the majority of remaining humans lives and is largely where Nod operates, while blue zones cover the remaining 20% of the world and are unscarred by tiberium. It is these blue zones that the GDI is sworn to protect. For years prior to this installment of “C&C,” Nod had been relatively dormant, but now that their leader Kane has suddenly reappeared and the conflict reignites.

In this game, players can take control of either the GDI or the Brotherhood of Nod to try and decide the fate of a dying world. The GDI offers players incredible firepower thanks to advanced technology while Nod units rely on stealth, cunning and tiberium powered weapons to counter the GDI’s military might. This game also offers a third playable race, a group of mysterious aliens known as the Scrin. Not much information is available on the Scrin but it is known that they have some kind of connection to the tiberium that now covers most of the planet.

Recently, a demo of “C&C 3” was released for download on Xbox Live Marketplace and even though the demo is rather short, it provides a lot of insight into what gamers can expect from the full game. First, the visuals of a “C&C” game have never looked better – the units and building are all very slick and the action and explosions are also very visually entertaining. Also, for a console RTS game, “C&C 3” controls very well. Practically all actions can be performed through the use of the A button, making the game very easy to pick up and play even by those who have no experience with RTS games. However, when the action picked up and there were many units fighting on screen at once, I did notice a considerable amount of slow down and lag in the game play which is hopefully rectified when the full game is released.

Though “C&C 3” is already available on the PC, it is being released early in May for the Xbox 360 console. I’m very excited for this game to be released as it has been quite some time since a “C&C” game has been released. So if you’re like me and have been salivating in anticipation for this next chapter in the “C&C” universe, make sure you don’t miss this game when it is released in May.

Co-op gaming and the future

Even though all of the current next generation are out on the market, people now more than ever are hypothesizing about what the future could possibly bring to gaming. A few things that the future could hold are more impressive and interactive graphics and environments as well as improved computer artificial intelligence to improve the gaming experience – but it’s not often that the future of game genres are discussed. Perhaps one of the most interesting developments lately in games is the rise of games that are designed specifically to be played with others, also known as cooperative gaming. Not just massively multiplayer online games, like “World of Warcraft,” but games where the full experience can only be achieved by playing with another person, which before now were difficult to create.

Before sophisticated gaming networks, like Xbox Live and the Playstation Network, cooperative gaming only existed in the form of multiplayer modes where teams or individuals competed against one another and in the form of the single player version of the game adapted to allow for more people to participate. These networks allow for people to play games together, converse and send messages to one another and keep track of each others stats. Also, since our culture is rapidly becoming more technologically savvy, it is easier than ever for gamers to get involved with online co-op gaming.

The distinction between older and newer co-op games is that it wasn’t until recently that games were designed with the specific intent that two or more people play together to get the full experience from the game. Some games allow for players to play through the single player game with another person, like “Halo 2,” but it wasn’t until recently that a game’s story mode would be created with the intention that it be played by more than one person. The most well known game of this type on the market right now would have to be “Gears of War” since, even though it can be played by just one person, the story mode is much more fun to play with another person. Also, “Gears” gives gamers the ability to play through the story mode cooperatively over the internet with another player, which is a feature essential to the new wave of co-op games.

But “Gears” is only the tip of the co-op gaming iceberg. New, even more exciting games in this genre are on the horizon – games like “Kane and Lynch: Dead Men,” “Army of Two” and “Left 4 Dead.”

“Kane and Lynch” tells the story of two men whose lives become intertwined when their transport bus to death row is hijacked by a mysterious mercenary group known as “The Seven.” Kane, a normal man turned mercenary, is being hunted by the surviving members of “The Seven” for his betrayal of the group years earlier when he deserted them and stole from them a small fortune in diamonds. They have tracked down Kane and demanded that he return the money or his family will be killed. Kane’s death after the job is done is an inevitability for his betrayal. Lynch, a severely schizophrenic psychopath on the bus with Kane, is also taken by “The Seven” to watch over Kane and will be given a spot in the organization if he performs well. In this game, players will be able to take control of either Kane or Lynch as they try to complete the task given to them by “The Seven.” Each character will have specific traits, Lynch being the more interesting of the two. Since he has a bad case of schizophrenia, Lynch will sometimes break down and go completely psychotic, even at crucial points in a mission and it will be Kane’s job to try and calm him down. It is even rumored that players will receive Xbox Live achievements for playing as Lynch in character, meaning that team killing in “Kane and Lynch” could merit an award. Unfortunately, “Kane and Lynch” still has a long way to go before it is released sometime later in 2007.

“Army of Two” offers a similar “buddy” experience that “Kane and Lynch” offers except that “Army of Two” puts a very heavy emphasis on teamwork. In this game, players choose between one of two mercenaries who work for a private military company taking on dangerous jobs for the highest bidder. Players will be able to employ a number of co-operative actions, such as the ability to drag a wounded partner to safety, flip objects to provide cover from gunfire and even parachuting where one person navigates the parachute while the other is strapped to his chest, able to fire on enemies below. Since the developers of this game have boasted that the enemies in “Army of Two” use similar co-op techniques that the players do and that the game can support up to 50 enemies on screen at once, teamwork will be absolutely essential to “Amy of Two’s” gameplay.

As games like these grow in popularity, newer more creative twists will be added to them, especially as the power of home gaming consoles grows. Cooperative gaming is where the future of the video game industry lies and the future of video games has never looked better.