Xbox Living

I don’t know what happened to 2009. I honestly don’t, it went by quickly for me. But there were games, and some of them were good. But for New Year’s Eve, here’s my take on Xbox 360 gaming in 2009.

I’ll be the first to admit that this round-up is a little thin. It’s been a busy year, and I didn’t get nearly as much gaming time in as I’d like. So, I can’t say much about many of the games that came out this year. I didn’t get to play Resident Evil 5, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins or Borderlands yet. I also didn’t get much time with either Assassin’s Creed II (which I’ll be playing in full very soon) or Call of Duty: Modern Combat 2. (MC2 looks and plays great, but I’m a Battlefield junkie, so I’m not the typical 360 player who is stuck on MC2 right now.)

Ok, that said, I actually did play some games this year! Here are the ones I feel that I can actually talk about:

Halo 3: ODST

ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) began as an expansion for Halo 3, called Halo 3: Recon, which was to be released as a budget, stand-alone expansion offering a short campaign played as a different sort of character. What emerged was a full-scale (and full-price) game.

In ODST, you play as regular soldiers during the events of Halo 2 and Halo 3. These soldiers don’t have the strength or agility of spartans like Master Chief, giving ODST a very different feel than what Halo has become, focusing more on strategy and stealth.

ODST also came with a complete Halo 3 multiplayer disc, featuring all of the Halo 3 DLC maps as well as 3 new ones, giving an expanded multiplayer experience to anyone already enjoying Halo 3′s multiplayer.

Fallout 3 DLC

Fallout 3 came out last year, but this year the game grew with five DLC expansions.

I didn’t play Operation: Anchorage, the first one, but I did play the other four: The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta.  The Pitt was a bit underwhelming, but Broken Steel turned things around with a nice extension to the main storyline. Point Lookout was my favourite of them all, with Mothership Zeta a close second.

Overall I think Fallout 3 did their game justice with the DLC expansions, and I recommend them to anyone who enjoyed the game enough to be considering them.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope

I’m on Disc 3 of 3 of Star Ocean as I write this — I had rented the game back when it came out, and just got it for Christmas from my wife in order to finish it. Star Ocean: The Last Hope is a fun game, but  I have a few issues with it.

The usual cultural difference in terms of, let’s say, “artistic direction” that comes with any Japanese RPG is chief among these issues. When translated into English, the dialogue of Star Ocean is a little ridiculous. The characters are caricatures of either naivety or emoness (for lack of an actual word), and if I get the supposed moral of this story, that we’re all friends and we have to keep moving forward together, shoved in my face one more time I may need to buy a new TV, having thrown my controller through my current one. Some of the characters are almost intolerably annoying. If you’ve played this game, you know what I mean, kay?

All of that said, I can’t put my controller down. The story overall is decent, and the gameplay is fun. I like JRPGs for the play style and the gameplay. There’s a lot of running around for quests and whatnot, but there are moments in which that becomes a zen-like experience. If that’s not your thing, you can advance through the storyline more directly at a relatively quick pace.

I’m looking forward to Mass Effect 2 to bring me some believable dialogue, but Star Ocean is a great fix for the RPG junkie and generally an enjoyable game.

Battlefield 1943

As I mentioned, and have mentioned a number of times on this blog, I’m a big fan of DICE’s Battlefield series. I’ve been playing Battlefield: Bad Company since it’s release in 2008 and I’m eagerly awaiting Bad Company 2 next March. So when I heard that a “sequel” to the original Battlefield 1942 was in the works, naturally I was on board.

Battlefield 1943 takes place during World War 2, and focuses exclusively on multiplayer. The game has four multiplayer maps that mimic Pacific Rim battles of the era: Iwo Jima, Wake Island, Guadalcanal and Coral Sea. The first three of these maps focus on ground combat and play much like other Battlefield games. The Coral Sea map is exclusively used for aerial combat.

For a mere 1200 Microsoft Points, which works out to about $15, Battlefield 1943 has given me hours upon hours of fun and was well worth the money.

A short list, I know. As I mentioned, I have to catch up on quite a few games. Hopefully I’ll be tackling some of them before long, and I can add some new reviews… but with the games coming up next year, I’m not sure how I’ll fit it all in. I also just updated the Xbox 360 release calendar with what’s to come in 2010.

I hope everyone has a good time celebrating the countdown tonight, and I wish you all a safe and happy new year!

Ok, I think I’m a bit late on this one, but because I’m a big fan of Battlefield, I couldn’t let it pass by.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has been given a release date.  The game is due out on March 2, 2010 in North America, and on March 5 in Europe.

Bad Company 2 promises to expand on the destruction offered in the first game, with buildings that seem to be completely destructible.  15 vehicles will be available in the game, including a 4-person helicopter — which is something I missed in Bad Company after Battlefield 2: Modern Combat.  Kits and the 46 available weapons will be customizable as well, offering more variety.The series’ executive producer, Karl Magnus Troedsson, brags:

“When Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ships in March, it will deliver the best online multiplayer experience ever.”

Big words, but the Battlefield franchise usually keeps that promise, so I’m hopeful that Bad Company 2 will be no exception.  Until that time, we have Battlefield 1943 on Xbox Live Marketplace and Battlefield: Bad Company to keep us busy.  The first BF:BC is still very active, and has recently become one of the full downloadable games on Xbox Live.

This and other dates have just been updated on the Xbox 360 Release Schedule so be sure to check that out, and follow me on Twitter at @xboxliving to get more updates.

We’re about to bid 2008 farewell, so it’s natural to take a look back at what’s happened in the past year.  In the Xbox 360 world, the year was heavily weighted towards the last few months, with only a few notable titles showing up before the summer.

This is my personal top-5 list of Xbox 360 games.  It is by no means objective; I’m not going to create one based on reviews or sales numbers.  Naturally, I’m sure many will disagree with my placements, but these are the games that I’ve had the most fun with this year.

5. Mirror’s Edge

I wrote a review of Mirror’s Edge on this blog, and my biggest complaint was that it was too short.  Mirror’s Edge brings a new take on the first-person video game, actually cutting the violence down to a minimum.  The game brings bright visuals and an upbeat soundtrack to a world dominated by the likes of Gears of War and Fallout.  This alone is as refreshing as the new gameplay.  Because of its apparent insignificance and brievity, I wasn’t sure if Mirror’s Edge should be in my top five… but I just had to count it in.  It’s just plain delightful.

4. Gears of War 2

Gears of War 2 brought the blockbuster series from Epic and Microsoft back in a big way.  Gears 2 had huge sales numbers and quickly climbed the charts.

I have to say, I don’t care for Gears multiplayer.  I’ve played a number of rounds in both titles, and it’s sometimes fun, but it’s not my style.  I had much more fun with the campaign, which was a huge improvement over the storyline in the first Gears of War.  I’m not likely to play online much beyond the story, but the campaign is enough to earn Gears of War 2 my #4 spot.

3. Fable II

The first Fable suffered from a huge amount of hype and failed to deliver on its promises.  Fable II, however, delivers a more polished RPG.  I enjoyed just about every moment of this game and I’m hoping for more in the upcoming DLC.  With an epic storyline, free exploration and side quests, and with a healthy dose of comedy, Fable II comes in at #3.

2. Fallout 3

I’ve not yet played Fallout 3 in its entirety yet — it’s a long game and a busy year-end has kept me from it.  But from what I’ve played, I’m certain it deserves its spot.  I’m a fan of Bethesda, especially their The Elder Scrolls series.  Fallout 3 takes their western RPG style and revitalizes the Fallout universe.  The game can please the Oblivion and Gears of War fans alike.

1. Battlefield: Bad Company

Battlefield: Bad Company is my favourite game right now.  It’s not nearly as popular as it should be, in my opinion.  As much as I enjoy the ever-popular multiplayer in Call of Duty and Halo games (and respect the popularity of Gears), Battlefield is the series that keeps me coming back for more.

Back in May, I was a bit hesitant about Bad Company at first.  The game lacked Battlefield‘s defining Conquest game mode, and brought in some changes that I wasn’t too sure about.  Despite this, I loved it when it came out, and since then EA’s DICE studio has made good on it promises of Conquest and new maps.  The campaign is fun, too, but Battlefield is all about multiplayer.  I continue to play Battlefield regularly (I played it today!), and probably will until they release another one.  BF:BC gets my #1, if only because it’s brought me countless hours of entertainment throughout 2008 — way more than any other game.

Notable mentions include Left 4 Dead, CoD: World at War and Guitar Hero: World Tour.  The Last Remnant may make my list shortly, since I’m a big Square Enix fan, but I haven’t had a chance to play it yet!

I’ve seen a few of these 2008 Top Games lists already, and Grand Theft Auto IV has been at the top of a lot of them.  I enjoyed playing with GTA IV for a little while, but I wasn’t impressed.  Feel free to argue me on this, but I got bored of it pretty quickly.

So that’s my list!  To kick off the new year, I’ll have a list of games to watch for in 2009, but first, let’s hear your top games of 2008!

A little while ago, I told you to keep an eye out for the parkour-inspired title Mirror’s Edge.  DICE, the EA studio behind Battlefield: Bad Company, put out this little gem earlier this month.

Mirror’s Edge takes place in a near-future city where the government is in total control of all communication and freedom is at a low.  You play the game as Faith, a runner who’s job is to move information through alleyways and across rooftops. The police have left runners alone, up until now. Things are changing, and Faith is getting pulled into the mix.

The game is mostly about running, jumping and swinging your way across the rooftops of the city.  There are colour-coded objects all over the place which can be used to leap or hang off of as you navigate your way through the city.  It’s like parkour, but at speeds and heights usually reserved for superheroes.  The game is entirely in first-person and lacks any heads-up display (HUD) aside from a small reticle to prevent players from getting motion sickness.

There’s a small shooter element, as well, but it’s mostly about avoiding the police rather than gunning them down.  You’ll earn an extra achievement if you can go through the game without shooting anyone.

The game is much more linear than I was expecting.  The levels are laid out as set courses, with only minor variations in the routes. The game does a decent job of fooling you in this regard, as you’re moving fast enough that you don’t really notice the restraints.  But it’s definitely noticable that you’re being herded along.  This was a bit disappointing.  Although I can certainly see the point of this, I was hoping for a little more free-roaming of the rooftops, like we experienced with Crackdown in 2007.

If you’re starting to get bummed out this holiday season from the depressing settings of Fallout 3, Gears of War 2 and Left 4 Dead, it might be a good idea to take a run through Mirror’s Edge.  Although its dystopian city isn’t exactly a land of merriment and glee, it’s quite a bit brighter than the war-torn, post-apocalyptic worlds in the other big titles this year.  The bright, sterile environments certainly provide a bit of eye candy while you play.  The game’s soundtrack also fits the mood.

If you’re one to throw your controller at your screen in a fit of rage, however, you might want to pass on Mirror’s Edge.  Most of the game is fairly easy, but there are a few areas where I started to get frustrated.  Some long jumps are a challenge, and repeating them over and over until you succeed can be a pain.  It can also be annoying to get past a difficult jump

Mirror’s Edge is a pretty quick playthorough.  The nine levels of the campaign fly by as you run through them.  The replay value comes in when you complete the courses again, either searching for hidden items that you missed, or completing the game’s time trials.  If you’re a fan of time trials, you may enjoy the game enough to buy it — but if you’re like me and you lose interest after completing each level once, this one’s better left rented.

In short, Mirror’s Edge is a nice change of pace, both in terms of the gameplay’s style and the bright atmosphere of the setting.  It loses points for being a little too linear, and altogether brief.  I really enjoyed this game, but I was done with it after a couple of days.  I could see some playing it over and over, but myself, I would need new levels.

If you choose to buy it, it’s available from Amazon:

79%

I’ve been spending the last little while playing Fable II, and not keeping up with my blogging.  This is a very immersive game, so I thought it’s about time I put together my review of it.  I’m not quite done with the game yet, but I’ve spent enough time in it to write a complete review, I think.  Once I finish the story I’ll add any comments if I think the review needs revision.  So, here’s Fable II — an action-RPG that’s loads of fun, but not without its flaws.

First, the most enjoyable part about Fable II: interacting with the AI.  The characters in Fable are actually pretty impressive.  Although they may become predictable after hours of play, the game is very dynamic in the way you interact with people in town.  To communicate with them, you have a wide range of expressions at your disposal. These actions give you some control over how people feel about you.  Everyone has different views about you, whether they love or hate you, whether they find you scary or funny, and whether they find you attractive or ugly.  The impact of each of these three scales is different, and they’re independant from each other.  This makes the game more dynamic as you interact with the townsfolk.

You can get married, have children and/or hook up with anonymous strangers.  You can have a seperate spouse and family in each town, if you so desire.  You can purchase shops and houses, charge rent and collect profits.  You can become a corrupt landlord by raising rent fees, or give everyone a break by cutting them down.  The choices here effect how everyone feels about you.

You can customize your character in terms of appearance: hari styles, clothing, beards and makeup can all be chosen.  Unlike the first Fable, you can choose to be male or female.  Of course, your character changes as time goes on and you make choices.  Purity will maintain your youthful look, while evil acts will lend you a much more sinister appearance.  But even the pure may find themselves changing in appearance as they become more infused with will (magic).  Eating and drinking will also cause you to fatten up.

The game promises freedom, without an obvious line to follow.  This is misleading.  While you’re not forced to do exactly what they want at all times, the storyline is very linear.  (You can tell, because the game draws a line on the ground showing you where to go.)  Fable II is often compared to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but Oblivion has far more freedom.  Unlike Oblivion, Fable II’s world map is divided into distinct zones, more like an MMO than Oblivion’s large open environment.   Many places are blocked off early in the game, so you don’t have the ability to explore all of the towns and fields until much later in the game.

Fable II doesn’t present much difficulty.  It’s very easy to level up and learn new abilities.  You can even level up without fighting at all, by purchasing potions that give experience points, although that’s a little inefficient.  Defeat has little consequence either, as being knocked out only causes you to lose any experience orbs that are lying on the ground (think Kingdom Hearts style), and you’re revived instantly.

The load times are a little annoying, especially if you’re in a hurry, but the game has such rich environments that I’m willing to forgive it.  It’s worth the wait, we’ll say.

The magic system is a bit awkward.  You have tiers of spells, and as you charge your magic (or will, as they say) you release it at a stage of your choosing.  You can assign spells to each stage so that different spells are used depending on how long you charge for, but you can’t have more than one spell on each stage at a time.  There’s no MP/mana level to watch for, but the spell casting isn’t always quick.  In cases where your weapon is drawn, there can be a delay to put your weapon away and cast a spell.  Attacks won’t interrupt a spell, but you can take quite a bit of damage while you try and charge up a higher-level one.

Finally, co-op is nice but leaves something to be desired.  The co-op is a little like the LEGO Star Wars games — you can join your Xbox Live friends’ game and help out, but you’re very restricted in it.  It’s not the type of game you want to play entirely in co-op mode, because one guy’s going to have all the fun.

I’m a big RPG fan but the average gamer should have a good time with Fable II.  Although there’s certainly some room for improvement, the immersive and addictive gameplay will give you hours of entertainment.  If you can get over, or ignore, the game’s few bugs and difficulties, there’s plenty of fun in exploring its more charming facets.

Hopefully I can wrap this up and move on to Fallout 3, lest the Call of Duty: World at War beta distract me!  So much to play, so little time.

Score: 86%

If you had told the developers who started work on Too Human that their game would be released for the Xbox 360, they may have said, “…the what?”

That’s because it was sometime in 1998 and the original Xbox hadn’t even been announced yet.  Too Human was originally planned for the Sony PlayStation.  Since then, the game has been on a roller coaster ride as its developer, Silicon Knights, tried to get it released.  In 2000, Nintendo partnered with Silicon Knights and the project was moved to the GameCube.  Silicon Knights’ attention shifted to other games, though, and it wasn’t until 2005 that Too Human resurfaced with hope of release.  The game was now being developed again.  In fact, Microsoft had comissioned Silicon Knights to create a trilogy of the games.

So with hype dating back to 1999′s E3 convention, expectations for Too Human were obviously high.  The promise of an action-adventure game with RPG elements, with a cyberpunk story based on Norse mythology?  Sounds very cool… in that geeky sort of way.

And indeed, Too Human is fun, but not quite as I was expecting.  It’s mindless, hack-and-slash fun.

The gameplay essentially consists of jumping or sliding from enemy to enemy, slashing them to bits.  You do so by rotating right analog stick around to move your character from enemy to enemy.  You may be fighting anywhere from 10 to 40 or more enemies at a time.  You have a few other moves at your disposal, allowing you deliver damage around you, release a machine to damage or disable enemies, power up your attacks or release some automated weapons to fly around and attack things.

The controls are clumsy, at best.  It’s difficult to precisely control where you want Baldur to go, which enemy to attack and, with larger enemies, where to attack them. The boss fights seem futile and senseless, as an enemy charges at you and delivers a flurry of attacks.  Ranged attacks are hopelessly weak and evading attacks is a challenge.

The cameras were equally frustrating.  As you progress through a level, the camera angle changes as you turn corners or cross bridges.  While this gives a cinematic feel to the game, it can be a bit frustrating when you’re trying to look in a specific direction.

Playing Too Human, I constantly got the feeling that I was missing something — that I didn’t understand how to play it.  Frequent deaths and no obvious strategy left me feeling like I was either really bad at the game, or the game was really bad for me.

Fortunately, dying has little consequence.  Aside from depreciating your armour, which can easily be replaced, all dying only costs you about 20-30 seconds.  The biggest motivation to stay alive is to avoid the death cutscene, in which a Valkyrie descends, picks up your body, and carries you off to Valhalla (which seems odd, since you don’t end up there.)  There’s an achievement for dying 100 times, which I did earn before completing my first playthrough.

The game is relatively brief.  It only consists of four levels, though each may take 2-3 hours to complete, and there is some running around involved in between levels.  You are encouraged to play multiple times, since there are various classes available to play, and achievements that can be earned by leveling each up and completing the game at least twice.

As for RPG elements, what Too Human brings to the table is the sort of classes and character customization elements that RPGs have.  You collect, buy, sell, craft and wear weapons and armour, you level up your character as you play, assigning skill points to abilities as you go.  But really, these are the more tedious aspects of RPGs.  I was expecting, given the subject matter and the game’s claimed RPG feel, a deeper, more immersive storyline.  (I suppose I was expecting something more like Bioshock.)

Instead, the game borrows names and general characters from those Germanic stories, but puts them in a simplified setting.  The game follows the story of Baldur, one of the Aesir, or gods.  These gods are essentially cybernetically-enhanced humans, walking along ordinary, mortal humans in their quest to protect them and restore the Earth to its original, natural beauty.  The game’s main antagonist is to be Loki, although his role as an actual enemy is limited.  Silicon Knights appears to be saving him for one of the game’s sequels.  The mythology is obviously changed, as the Scandinavian people did not envision their gods as cybernatically enhanced.  The game’s name refers to Baldur, whose enhancements are less involved than those of the other gods, making him “too human”.

Too Human uses the Unreal Engine 3, so it has graphics about on par with many familiar games.  The game is visually appealing, aside from the looks of some corpses and a few gloomy locales.  There’s not much to say about the graphics: they’re nice, but not exceptional.

I can’t help but to feel like Too Human could have been a lot better.  I’m a little hard on the game here, but since the game was envisioned 10 years ago, I feel like it should have been a little more polished.  (I also expected more from a Canadian studio.) But I did complete it, and I enjoyed it.  I will probably also play the next game in the planned trilogy — hopefully they’ll have improved the combat system and the story will get a little deeper.

Score: 71%