The XBOX Life by Stoopkids » Game Previews

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Badass Preview

mike — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:44:57 +0000

If the original Battlefield: Bad Company wasn’t badass enough, take a look at the improvements made in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Ok, so one of the biggest problems with the original was not only the physics and weights in the buildings all off, but you couldn’t even entirely level them to the ground. Good thing that’s been changed this time around. In the new installment users are able to fully take a building to the ground while setting up explosives all over the building. It looks great, and seems much more realistic then the original attempt. Along with the improved building physics and destruction, the characters are toned down a bit more in the new version.

Gamers will still be playing under Preston, the hot tongued soldier who’s platoon looks a lot more like something out of Three Kings then a disciplined unit. This time around, though, the company will have to take their job a little bit more seriously. Players begin on a frozen tundra level covered in snow and full of Russian bad guys. After stumbling across some loading products into a truck, a simply recon missions turns out into all out blood fare while exchanging fire with the Russians. You’ll be hiding behind burnt out vehicles and the normal positions, so there is nothing to new on the movement feel around the area.

A huge improvement to the game, which was notably an issue with the previous, is the movement of your friendly company and the AI that drives them. Situations where you’ve blown holes into walls and destroyed property will register with the computer-controlled adversaries, and on top of that, they’ll be following directions much better too. Preston is still the leader, and wherever you go the platoon will go, but now it’s done in a much more realistic fashion. They’ll get into position, cover you, and stay closer to the group while you prepare the plan that’s going to take your enemies out.

Tanks, tanks and more tanks! In BF: BC2, places, people and automobiles blow up left and right. While being chased by ATV gun running enemies, you’ll be ready with massive tanks and firepower that will surely put a theme of destruction in the companies ways. The single-player mode is great, but the real focus is on the multi-player options which have been greatly improved upon. Considering that most games today need to have a strong online showing, BF: BC2 does not disappoint. Gamers will be happy that setting up matches with friends will be easier, and [hopefully] a co-op mode.

There will be an incentive addition to the game, so that from the very beginning you don’t have all the available options. DICE is hoping to keep players more engaged and the longevity of the game raised. Developers are “actually challenging the player to go out and do something specific in order to get something”, which is similar to the earlier addition of players healing other players.

Overall, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 seems extremely promising with the improvements to the scenery, and to the multi-player mode. Definitely going to be worth purchasing upon it’s console-wide platform.

Skate 3: Watch Out Tony Hawk

mike — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:19:49 +0000

Look out Tony Hawk fans, there is a new skateboarding game coming to a video game store near you! After years of the Tony Hawk series dominating the console-gaming world as far as skateboarding games go, Skate 3 has mustered out the strength to give gamers a little more to play for — complete and utter control through the analog sticks. Skate 3 offers a unique control system that is dominated by the analog sticks, allowing for the gamer to have much more interaction and feel while achieving and completing massive combination tricks.

What may seem as an “anti-Tony Hawk” game, Skate 3 offers a lot more control over the movements of the character, but it comes at a price, it’s not insanely perfect. The left analog stick will be used to control the skater movement, with the right being the control of skateboard flips. The triggers are used for various grabs, and in the end, as much interactiveness may come from the unique controls, it does make it difficult to replicate certain tricks. Considering many tricks are very similar in base, this may cause some challenges when trying to pull off a specific trick in a competition. Though it can cause a level of frustration for the gamer, a little practice and perfection will surely ease the pain and allow you to become a true master of the board.

With the unique control design, the gamers biggest challenge off the bat is mastering various grinds. In real life, skateboarders must perfect the heights of their jumps to nail certain rails, and in Skate 3, this is no different. The game is all about timing, so if you demonstrate a level of grace with the analog sticks, the gamer will quickly catch onto the art of ollieing. At times this may become different because of the camera angle, but lining up your grinds will come in time.

The career mode can offer some challenges, like really knowing your city and skate zone. Certain objectives can only be completed in certain areas depending on the criteria, so being familiar with the area is definitely a huge plus. Along with this you’ll complete challenges that may be point, trick or time based. Overall, there are many different aspects to the career mode so it’ll take practice to master everything.

You can travel around the city exploring different spots, and even open up hidden spots such as X Games areas, which is pretty cool. The loading times are fairly quick unless you are attempting to warp to specific areas. It’s not a big deal unless you are trying to achieve the same objective over and over again.

Because of the significance of timing in the game, the online mode really suffers. Playing against users with a slower connection than yourselves highly damages the game play because of the glitchyness of the timing. Personally, though, this isn’t a game I’d get just to play online.

Overall, Skate 3 offers a unique gaming experience and is definitely a move in the right direction for the franchise. With enough tweaks, this game could easily become the king of the skateboarding game industry, and is definitely worth the benjamins to pick up a copy.

8/10

Mass Effect 2: The Soldier Class

mike — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:24:45 +0000

If you’re looking for a well-rounded action packed game with killer graphics and game play, the much improved and anticipated Mass Effect 2 will be right up your ally being released January 26, 2010. Featuring 3 classes, and most notably, the Soldier class, Mass Effect 2 offers a substantial increase in game play due to it’s class differences. Though I’d love to cover all three, this article is strictly meant to advertise the Soldier class, also known as the games weapon master.

The Soldier is able to use all ammo types in the game, which means the weaponry arsenal is pretty big, offering ways for the gamer to customize weapon types to destroy any and all enemies. Along with it’s increased health and adrenaline fueled boots, the Soldier is an extreme warrior who’s offense matching their defense. The possible weapon damage is off the charts in comparison to other classes, and matched with their defensive capabilities, the Soldier acts as a one man army fit to annihilate the opposition.

Another plus to the Soldier class is that it is accompanied by a Soldier-exclusive weapon, the light machine gun, and if you want to use it, you’ll have to be a Soldier. The combat mastery exclusive class rank for the Soldier also offers options once the rank has been maxed. You can side with either the Commandos, which will increase your damage and overall weapon attributes, or the Shock Troopers, which will propel your agility skills to the next level.

So why is the Soldier class the feature of Mass Effect 2? Because it undoubtedly was the biggest improvement in the game. Instead of having to “level up” your mastery of armor and weapons, in which case you usually ran out of points, the player now starts with full mastery, which propels the gamer to much more realistic game play as the Soldier. Mass Effect 2 is a lot to look forward too.

XBOX 360 Review: Assassin’s Creed 2

mike — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:13:26 +0000

If you thought Ubisoft’s Assassins’ Creed was full of stealth kills and awesome environments, then surely the millions who enjoyed the first will undoubtedly become obsessed with Assassin’s Creed 2.

The new game takes place in Renaissance Italy, Circa 1476, with you playing as the character Ezio Auditore de Firenze, whom is related to the first game’s character Altair. The story develops with Ezio becoming involved in the war between The Assassin’s and the Templar. You will be given missions of “hits” which will take you all over Italy, including such cities as Venice, Florence, Tuscany and Rome. Don’t worry gamer, there will be plenty of people for you to shank, punch, flip and kill.

Improvements made from the first game are seen immediately when traveling through Venice. Here, Ezio becomes very aquatic, being able to sneak around the city through the water. This environment will also come in handy when hiding from enemies. Scaling walls is also much improved, as Ezio is almost tarzan like, swinging and jumping from building to building. Game developers also included “white cloths” throughout the environment giving the player a much more strategic way of planning their next move. This way, when you’re on the run, you’ll be able to map out your escape in advance, which makes roaming around the cities much easier.

Where the game really gets new and improved is in the combat zone. Ezio is a master of blades, staffs and spears, with each weapon having it’s own special attack. This definitely brings some new flavor to the game, especially because Ezio is able to disarm his opponents, grab their weapons, and slaughter them. When without a weapon, Ezio is also equipped with two hidden blades, while Altair only had one. If you get good enough and time it just right, Ezio can take out two opponents at once in a single quick move.

Another improvement to the game was the computers AI. When fighting multiple enemies, you’ll have different fighting styles thrown at you. It’s definitely more challenging then the first game. What’s also great is Ezio, when without a weapon, has fists of fury with massive combos and head butts that will literally flip your opponent to their demise.

Throughout the game you’ll be able to make “sneaky attacks”, coming out from your hiding spot to gauge an enemy with your uber stealth skills. Be careful though, because making too much noise will up your notoriety system, which won’t allow you to blend into the crowd as much. When this happens, Ezio will be given different missions that will allow you to lower it. This will be done by bribing, killing witnesses and taking down “WANTED” posters.

Overall, this second installment is vastly improved and non-repetitive, unlike the first game which would get boring with the continuous “get a mission, kill, get a mission, kill” and so on. In Italy you’ll be enjoying missions that will change on the spot, which keep the game interesting and fun. The designers also did a fantastic job capturing the imagery and architecture of the Renaissance period in Italy. Also, be on the look out for Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous “flying machine”, which Ezio also gets a chance to play with.

The game will surely be a huge success, and a lot of fun for Assassin’s Creed fans. In the meantime, I’d check out some Renaissance history to prep you for this vastly improved game play and environment in Assassin’s Creed 2.

XBOX 360 Preview: Dead Rising 2

mike — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:16:04 +0000

After it’s preview to the world yesterday, Dead Rising 2 looks to be a very promising compliment to the original.

Now taken over by Blue Castle Games in partnership with Capcom, the zombie virus was unable to be contained and has spread viciously throughout the US, which means gamers will be brought to a “new level of zombie-killing fun with tens of thousands of zombies”.

The second installment of the game clearly demonstrates an awesome online multi-player experience with Terror of Reality.

From the original game, the hit show Terror of Reality is brought to the gamers fingertips by being able to experience the show first hand in an online roll. Players will fight against each other for the high score to demonstrate who is the king of the zombies. Players will be laughing hysterically while simultaneously slaughtering zombies via motorbike or hamsterball. Whichever scenario the gamer is thrown into, Dead Rising 2 definitely seems promising.

With the original “anythings a weapon” mentality, this new game offers the same standard where anything from the motorbike, to the pool cue and down to the roulette wheel, everything and anything is a weapon that can be used to take out the flesh eating zombies.

Preview: NBA 2k9, the future of basketball games (XBOX 360)

mike — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:31:17 +0000

Alright all you 2k series fans, prepare yourself for the 2k Insider, because he’s going to have a lot to do with this next release. The 2k Inside, who is an employed individual by the 2k Series, has the job of realistically updating player attributes as the season goes on. This will work with the “Living Rosters” idea, which is similar to the DNA attribute in NBA Live 09. The “Living Rosters” will involve all rosters and players being updated throughout the season. That way, if a player isn’t playing so hot in real life, he won’t be stepping his game up on the game either. This is a wonderful feature because it will prevent players with good ratings whom are having busted years from playing like All-Stars in the game, when their season is below par. Now, the difference between Live and 2k9 is the “human touch” factor. Considering the 2k Insider is a real-life human being, instead of the PC controlled DNA feature in Live 09, the new 2k9 release will have a much more realistic feel because the players will be as good as we think they are, not how good a computer does.

Don’t be expecting everyday roster updates though. Rather then having updates every day, they will be released when warranted. Of course when there is a big time injury or trade the updates will be made immediately, but don’t think after King James has a few bad games there going to immediately update the roster. The changes will be made when they will have an effect on the gaming experience.

The 2k Insider comes into play when your able to read his online blog, as well as view the new updates to players he gives on a regular basic. Another cool feature of the 2k Insider is his ability to add new animations to players who are excelling throughout the year. For instance, if O.J. Mayo begins to dominate during the season, NBA 2k9 Development Workers will work on new animations for him for the game. That’s right, you won’t be unlocking new animations, you’ll be downloading brand spanking new ones. In the case that O.J. Mayo reveals his NBA signature move, you’ll be downloading it in a roster update during the season.

Besides the addition of the 2k Insider, the biggest change will be a remodeled version of the Franchise Mode, dubbed Association 2.0. This new Franchise Mode will mimic the NBA.com design with a front page full of NBA news. From big trades, to injuries, and even news that is true to real life, and true to your personal league. Overall, it will be filled with tons of new content, and viewed upon as a giant NBA.com blog spot. A big new addition to Franchise mode will be the Ambition player attribute. This will measure 3 things: financial security, loyalty and player for winner. These 3 factors will create the level of ambition a certain player has. For instance, a younger player will probably be more concerned about money then winning games. A veteran, on the other hand, will be much more concerned with winning a championship.

The player ambitions will be an important aspect of the game because it will relate to how they handle free agency. In past versions, you were able to re-sign any of your players at any time. In the case of the new game, you will only be able to sign players who have been with you for 3-straight seasons, otherwise you will be competing with every other team and let the player decide which team/option is best for them. This really adds to the realism factor of the game that the 2k series Developers have been working on.

My favorite new feature to the game is the 5 on 5 online play, which every avid XBOX Live player has been waiting for. The Oklahoma City Thunder will also be renamed from the original Seattle Supersonics (to be Seattle fans — you had your chance). Along with this will come smaller changes involving new crowd animations and a much cleaner, less confusing, player profiles and menu interfaces.

Overall, NBA 2k9 seems to be the future for console basketball games by introducing brand new, never before seen features, and a new, slick menu interface. Look for NBA 2k9 to hit stores October 7, 2008.

Preview: NCAA Basketball 2009 (XBOX 360)

mike — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:14:29 +0000

Alright all you collegiate basketball lovers out there, EA is making a name change from the tenured “March Madness” title, to the new and improved “NCAA Basketball 2009″. The reasoning for this name change comes in part by the fact that there is much more to the college basketball season then just March Madness. It takes a lot more hard work through a long, physical, as well as academic, season to reach the Big Dance. The goal of the new game, which is to be released in the late fall, is to promote the rivalries, home-court advantage, loud arenas, mascots and overall setting for collegiate basketball games.

EA has announced that the cover design for this years release will include UCLA Alum, and Timberwolves Rookie Forward, Kevin Love. Love, who led the Bruins to a Final Four birth, along with being crowned Pac-10’s Player of the Year, will be the spokesperson and celebrity promoter for the release.

The new game will offer some much improved tweaks to the only college basketball game being released this year, including improved ball-physics, 1,000+ new sequences and animations, accompanied by Division I Coach advice.

The game will be running on the same engine being used for NBA Live 09, which will allow for smoother body movements and sequences, better ball physics, and an overall improvement to the rhythm and feel of the game. A new “tempo setter” feature will also be included. At the beginning of the game you will choose the type of “tempo” you want your team to run at. Whether it be half-court balanced, up and down offense, or a slow, low energy game, you choose how you want your team to play the game. The feature will allow you to play “your schools” tempo of basketball, which will lead to more strategic game plans, and overall enjoyment with victory.

Along with the tempo feature comes something never before seen in any NCAA game release: coach advice. During the game you will have the option to take coaching advice from your sideline instructor. From improvements on your sloppy play, to taking advantage of opportunities, coach’s will chime in and give you their 2cents on how you should improve.

Of course the commentating will be handled by none other then Brad Nessler and Dick Vitale, leading you through your exciting and “sensational” season. As for Online play, you probably won’t see it until 2010, when “more then 2 player” online play will be guaranteed. Sorry all you XBOX Live fans, you’ll have to wait one more season.

Look for the Canadian EA Developer Team to ship to the US in late Fall, 2008.

Preview: Madden 09 (XBOX 360)

mike — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:52:29 +0000

So are you as psyched as the rest of the world for the August 12th release of Madden 09? Considering the game was technically finished in June, but the release isn’t until mid August, there are not to many new features to talk about, but rather, figure out who will and won’t be in the game.

The question on many gamers mind is: “Why isn’t Brett Favre in the game?”. Well, technically he is in the game, but instead of being on any of the NFL Team Rosters, he’s included on the Madden Legends Roster, with a rating of 99 (everyone on Legends is 99). The reason why Favre isn’t currently on any roster is really Favre’s fault, because in 2 seperate interviews asking whether or not he was going to come out of retirement, he declined, stating that he would stay retired. Don’t be to worried though, because from the looks of it, Brett Favre will be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer at the earliest Wednesday (today), which would allow for a simple roster update to get him on the game. When asking EA about what Favre’s possible ranking would be, the answer was “probably mid-nineties”. Not to bad for a guy who does Wrangler commercials, has white hair and sponsors drugs for 40+ year old men.

Other then the Favre questions, one very cool new feature to the game will be the custom Touchdown Dance. Yes, it took until Madden 09, but finally users will be able to decide how their players celebrate their touchdown. Whether it be LaDanians football flip, or the ever popular Lambeou Leap, players will run into the “hot spot” and simply push the corresponding button to the celebration. Apparently there are over 85 celebrations, and each one can be added to any player. Pretty cool huh?

Overall, Madden 09 looks to be the best in the 20th anniversary of the Madden series. Who knows though, considering it’s EA, it’s always possible to be dissapointed. NCAA Football 09 was released 1-2 months ago, and right now that’s easily the best football game out.

Preview: Gears of War 2 (XBOX 360)

mike — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:41:38 +0000

So far from the looks of it, Gears of War 2 has a chance at becoming one of the greatest titled games of all time for the XBOX console. For one, the graphics are amazing, as you can see from the images below (thank you http://xbox360.ign.com). Also, the new version is offering a few new maps, guns, game modes and a whole bunch of new enemies to destroy.

From what I’ve read, there are going to be 2 new maps added, which will only add to the blood, violence, gore and destruction of the enemy, and the landscape. One of the maps is called Day One, which resembles a city-type landscape filled with buildings, movie theaters, and other places built for strategic sniping operations. Another new map is called Avalanche, which is exactly what you think, a giant map of snow.

Following these new maps is a brand new game play mode that without question will better your gaming experience. The mode is called Horde, and it allows for 5 human players to join up against wave after wave of AI-controlled enemies. Of course there is still going to be a featured campaign mode for you and a friend to fight through, but the new Horde mode is definitely something that all players of the game will greatly enjoy. With each successful wave destroyed, a new one will emerge with more and more enemies coming your way. It’ll get to the point that once you kill something, another enemy is breathing down your back ready to revenge it’s buddies death. The game play will surely keep gamers at the edge of their seats (and controllers), with more and more bad guys coming your way.

One of the new enemies that your sure to enjoy is called the Ticker, which looks like a funny little white dog with stubby legs, which as it gets closer and closer, by the time it’s at your feet, you hear “tick, tick, BOOM!”. That’s right, this little sucker has a time bomb strapped to it’s back, and when it gets close enough you’ll hear the “tick, tick”, and then it blows. Once you hear it, you’ll be looking all over on the ground to shoot the little sucker before it brings you down with it.

Horde also entertains players with a variety of new Boomers with new armor and weapons. Some feature flamethrowers with gas tanks, others have a shield with an explosive flail, and the last kind are the Mulchers, who carries “Mulcher” guns similar to the gatling gun.

Beyond that there are even more new enemies that are yet to be scene, along with plenty of other features that Epic is keeping under wraps. Good for them, but even better for the gamer, because GoW2 will definitely blow away GoW. Besides, how terrifying do you think it’ll be when you have 20 some odd random enemies coming right at you? Spawning in all different directions, and your only option is blow them all away.

Happy Gaming!

Preview: Grand Theft Auto IV (XBOX 360)

mike — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:55:25 +0000

2007 will be a year to remember with all the fantastic game releases including Halo 3, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, etc…but sadly GTA IV will not be included, as Rockstar has pushed the release date back to 2008. With all the hype revolving around this game, it may not be a bad thing for a later release date around Easter, because the developers have gone all out in the latest addition to this epic series.

The character you will live under is Nikolai “Niko” Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant who comes to the USA seeking the American Dream under the guidance of Niko’s cousin (who’s actually a dead-beat cab driver with massive debt — Niko was unaware of this).

GTA IV features the new world of Liberty City (NYC), and includes the 4 sections of Algonquin (Manhattan), Broker (Brooklyn), Dukes (Queens), and Bohan (Bronx). This is supposed to be the largest city in any of the games, and offers the best graphics seen so far in any of the previous versions. Still, there are some changes to the game.

First, the RPG style that was offered in San Andreas has changed dramatically. You won’t be able to waste your days working out or doing other useless things like getting haircuts and becoming fat. Instead, the developers paid more attention to the actual control and realism of the game. Your car will be supplied with a GPS, allowing for much easier navigation, and hopes that players will actually learn there way around the city, because every street has a unique name. Along with the GPS addition, your character will now be able to hail cab drivers to get around the city faster (yes, cabbies get you there faster!). Though you’ll have to dish out some money, you won’t mind once you complete your missions faster. Of course you’ll still have the option to steal cars, but smashing the window, breaking the steering column and then hot wiring the car will take longer then in the past. This will give more of a chance to you getting BUSTED!

As for the police, the developers really want the player to make use of the radar, and when trying to escape from police this will be especially important. In order to get your wanted level down you will have to get out of the red perimeter shown in your radar. This red circle represents where the police are searching for you. Even when you are within the red circle you won’t always be seen. Now there is more of a “cat and mouse” option to the game, where if the police are not looking directly at you, they will not be able to see you. The high speed chases will prove to be more intense (as usual), because the amount of damage your car can take has definitely dropped to a more realistic level. You will still be able to have those massive gun battles (though they are much more limited now), but be careful because your enemies feature much more accuracy in this game. Accompanied by this you now have the option to cover and “blind fire”, though it will be interesting to see this in action.

For your ammunition you will no longer be able to go see your favorite gun dealers in the city. Instead, you make a phone call to your Rastafarian gun dealer who drops off your weaponry at whatever location you desire. With this, you will also have a cell phone, being able to contact anyone by the touch of a button. There is a high level of technology used in this game, where missions include using the internet is some way or another.

The violence, of course, was improved in all areas. There is much more realism in the game, and the cock-backing of the head from a point blank bullet was proof enough. Not to mention the amount of blood squirting from the wound, the graphics are very realistic.

Overall, I’m extremely excited to see this game, and am not surprised by some of the changes made. Especially in regards to the RPG style of the game, I was never a big fan of it.