WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2009

Like every other sport game, for better or worse, we also have a yearly WWE game to play. Not that we are complaining, after all the series has been really solid for a few years now. The problem with nearly every wrestling game out there however is that we cannot recall the last time we were blown away by one. Every year we are promised change and improvement, yet each and every time we are stuck with a decent videogame with very little in the way of change.

Raw vs. Smackdown 09 comes with a complete set of changes. You have new wrestlers, arenas and even a few game modes. So things, from distance, look bright for this year’s game. The first massive inclusion you will notice in Raw 09 is the road to WrestleMania mode. This is where you will be spending most of your time when you first get the game. Here you have to one wrestler from a list of 7 to play as. After that everything will start to feel like a live presentation of the WWE.

Between each fight the game will play a video showing you what is happening with your wrestler and how he is facing off against his main rivals. Dramatic events will start to unfold until you fight your main opponent in the final week. You don’t just fight here either, sometimes you are challenged by the game to reach a specific goal to gain bonus rewards. Those challenges are fun most of the time, but straight out frustrating at times too. At the end of the day, we don’t recall the last time we enjoyed playing the story mode in a wrestling game this much. You will find yourself attached to the game trying to find out what happens next with your character. Too bad this mode is only available for 7 characters. So after the success the developers have had with this mode, we are confident that next year we will have a much larger roster to choose from.

The overall roster in the game is nearly 60 wrestlers. You also have the option to create your own wrestler with a unique set of moves and finishers. As usual the modification options are real deep and give you full control of everything you can imagine. The game also comes with a built in highlight reel. Here you can record and edit any scene from the game to show off in front of your friends. We feel the editing options in the highlight reel are worth mentioning as you will be able to do nearly everything with your clip before saving it.

Just in case you want to test out the game with a wrestler that did not make into the Road to WrestleMania mode, you also have the career mode to mess around with. Here the attention shifts from the story to the statistical part of the game. You start the game as any wrestler you choose or even your own created character and move up the ladder winning every championship on the way. Based on how well you perform in your matches you will be rewarded with improved stats. That is really cool, giving you an incentive to improve your gameplay style. The only real problem with this mode however is the lack of any real story or cut scenes.

After mentioning all what is new and good about this game. Now it is time to mention the one thing we don’t like about RAW 09. Simply the fact that the game feels and looks like RAW 08 is the main problem here. Yes, the game does come with a load of new modes and options but what about the gameplay? The gameplay is identical to what we saw last year. Everything from the animations to move sets; it’s exactly what we played 12 months ago. The new modes on hand however, especially the road to WrestleMania mode, is well worth the money. But maybe next year we can have a game with new modes and new animations at the same time?

RAW 09 really puts focus on the tag team action this time around. The game has a set of new moves made with tag matches exclusively on mind. You can do a set of different moves from the sideline to help your partner out now. Things are not all rosy in the tag team matches however. The AI at times really messes things up going after the wrong opponent and forcing you into some very difficult situations.

The graphics in this game is exactly what we saw last year, so don’t prepare your eyes for any new wild graphical displays. Last year we complained about the outdated animations and this year is no exception. Even though each wrestler has his/her own set of moves for you to enjoy, they simply look nothing like the real deal we see on TV. Almost every move in the game looks a bit robotic and unrealistic. Performance wise the game is pretty stable, slightly slowing down during massive battles with more than 2 characters on the screen. Each character in the game look as close to real life as possible, not just body and face wise, but the authentic apparel and accessories are aboard as well.

 

How you perceive the music totally depends on your taste. Some might complain others might applaud the music ion. We personally liked what we heard during our time with the game. The sound effects are pretty realistic as well and manage to deliver each and every body crunch. What really impressed us in the sound department however is not the music or sound effects, but rather the commentary system. The commentary in the game is very well done, especially in the road to WrestleMania mode. They seem to know what they are talking about every time and rarely go off track with what they are saying. So if you choose to play as the Undertaker, you will hear about his past, rivals and how well you did in your past match.

To keep things short, this the 08 version but with a new coat of paint really. Every mode and option added this year is enjoyable but the fact that the gameplay did not change is slightly disappointing. At the end of the day however as a wrestling fan picking up this game is a must. It’s the closest any wrestling game has come to watching real live TV. Other gamers however will have a real hard time deciding whether to pick this game up or ignore it for another “guaranteed title”. Buying this game or not depends on how much you value the new modes. So you can either check out more screen shots and videos of the game or wait for the demo before making up your mind. WWE Raw vs. Smackdown 09 overall is a better game than last year’s even if it doesn’t change a whole lot. Yet we hope next year’s version will really blow us away. Until then though for you wrestling fans out there we can say it’s worth the price of admission. Even if it is the same thing you’ve seen over and over.

 

Raw vs. Smackdown 09

Like every other sport game, for better or worse, we also have a yearly WWE game to play. Not that we are complaining, after all the series has been really solid for a few years now. The problem with nearly every wrestling game out there however is that we cannot recall the last time we were blown away by one. Every year we are promised change and improvement, yet each and every time we are stuck with a decent videogame with very little in the way of change.
Raw vs. Smackdown 09 comes with a complete set of changes. You have new wrestlers, arenas and even a few game modes. So things, from distance, look bright for this year’s game.  The first massive inclusion you will notice in Raw 09 is the road to WrestleMania mode. This is where you will be spending most of your time when you first get the game.  Here you have to  one wrestler from a list of 7 to play as. After that everything will start to feel like a live presentation of the WWE.

Between each fight the game will play a video showing you what is happening with your wrestler and how he is facing off against his main rivals. Dramatic events will start to unfold until you fight your main opponent in the final week.  You don’t just fight here either, sometimes you are challenged by the game to reach a specific goal to gain bonus rewards. Those challenges are fun most of the time, but straight out frustrating at times too. At the end of the day, we don’t recall the last time we enjoyed playing the story mode in a wrestling game this much. You will find yourself attached to the game trying to find out what happens next with your character. Too bad this mode is only available for 7 characters. So after the success the developers have had with this mode, we are confident that next year we will have a much larger roster to choose from.
The overall roster in the game is nearly 60 wrestlers. You also have the option to create your own wrestler with a unique set of moves and finishers. As usual the modification options are real deep and give you full control of everything you can imagine. The game also comes with a built in highlight reel. Here you can record and edit any scene from the game to show off in front of your friends. We feel the editing options in the highlight reel are worth mentioning as you will be able to do nearly everything with your clip before saving it.
Just in case you want to test out the game with a wrestler that did not make into the Road to WrestleMania mode, you also have the career mode to mess around with. Here the attention shifts from the story to the statistical part of the game. You start the game as any wrestler you choose or even your own created character and move up the ladder winning every championship on the way. Based on how well you perform in your matches you will be rewarded with improved stats. That is really cool, giving you an incentive to improve your gameplay style. The only real problem with this mode however is the lack of any real story or cut scenes.
After mentioning all what is new and good about this game. Now it is time to mention the one thing we don’t like about RAW 09. Simply the fact that the game feels and looks like RAW 08 is the main problem here. Yes, the game does come with a load of new modes and options but what about the gameplay? The gameplay is identical to what we saw last year. Everything from the animations to move sets; it’s exactly what we played 12 months ago. The new modes on hand however, especially the road to WrestleMania mode, is well worth the money. But maybe next year we can have a game with new modes and new animations at the same time?
RAW 09 really puts focus on the tag team action this time around. The game has a set of new moves made with tag matches exclusively on mind. You can do a set of different moves from the sideline to help your partner out now. Things are not all rosy in the tag team matches however. The AI at times really messes things up going after the wrong opponent and forcing you into some very difficult situations.
The graphics in this game is exactly what we saw last year, so don’t prepare your eyes for any new wild graphical displays. Last year we complained about the outdated animations and this year is no exception.  Even though each wrestler has his/her own set of moves for you to enjoy, they simply look nothing like the real deal we see on TV. Almost every move in the game looks a bit robotic and unrealistic. Performance wise the game is pretty stable, slightly slowing down during massive battles with more than 2 characters on the screen.  Each character in the game look as close to real life as possible, not just body and face wise, but the authentic apparel and accessories are aboard as well.
How you perceive the music totally depends on your taste. Some might complain others might applaud the music ion. We personally liked what we heard during our time with the game. The sound effects are pretty realistic as well and manage to deliver each and every body crunch. What really impressed us in the sound department however is not the music or sound effects, but rather the commentary system. The commentary in the game is very well done, especially in the road to WrestleMania mode. They seem to know what they are talking about every time and rarely go off track with what they are saying. So if you choose to play as the Undertaker, you will hear about his past, rivals and how well you did in your past match.
To keep things short, this the 08 version but with a new coat of paint really. Every mode and option added this year is enjoyable but the fact that the gameplay did not change is slightly disappointing. At the end of the day however as a wrestling fan picking up this game is a must. It’s the closest any wrestling game has come to watching real live TV. Other gamers however will have a real hard time deciding whether to pick this game up or ignore it for another “guaranteed title”. Buying this game or not depends on how much you value the new modes. So you can either check out more screen shots and videos of the game or wait for the demo before making up your mind. WWE Raw vs. Smackdown 09 overall is a better game than last year’s even if it doesn’t change a whole lot. Yet we hope next year’s version will really blow us away. Until then though for you wrestling fans out there we can say it’s worth the price of admission. Even if it is the same thing you’ve seen over and over.

GTA IV: The Lost and Damned

Rockstar has finally announced the due date for its first episode of the Xbox 360 exclusive DLC for its superb Grand Theft Auto IV. The DLC is named ‘Lost and Damaned’ and will be out on Feburary 17, 2009. You will control a new character called Johnny Klebitz, and play through an parallel storyline that will intersect the main story of Niko Belic.

"Johnny is a very different character than Niko, with a very different background. I can’t go into too much detail on the story, because we try not to give away too much plot before the game is released. But I can say that the story will show you a different side of Liberty City," explains Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser, "Tons of details and mysteries from the main story get explained, so it will add a lot of color to the main story,"

More information in the press release below, oh and don’t forget to check out the screenshots from the DLC.

Press release:
Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce that the eagerly anticipated first episode of downloadable content, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, will be coming to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system via Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. Available exclusively on Xbox LIVE worldwide on February 17, 2009, The Lost and Damned will feature all new content and is the first of two episodes announced for Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360.

"Making these episodes has enabled us to expand the narrative and the experience of interacting with a game world in really innovative ways," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We hope fans of the game enjoy the new way of experiencing life in Liberty City contained in this first episode."

Since its launch in April, Grand Theft Auto IV has garnered unprecedented praise and acclaim worldwide. Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City, The Lost and Damned features a new main character and plot that intersects with the storyline of Grand Theft Auto IV; new missions that offer an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City with new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles; and a diverse soundtrack with additional music – all with the incredible production values that are the trademarks of Grand Theft Auto.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned requires players to have the full version of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE membership to download. Further details, including pricing, will be announced soon. For more information, please visit www.rockstargames.com/IV.

Screenshots

Call of Duty: World at War

The theater for next gens war is set. While many might feel like taking a step backward by plunging into the WWII chaos, a franchise far beaten and milked than a dead horse, Treyarch still believe there’s some life left in that proverbial carcass. For many (and Infinity Ward themselves), the developers of the latest iteration to the COD family are nothing more than a sack of menacing copy-cats. And it might be true to some extent.

Call of Duty: World at War focuses on the Pacific War that was waged between the US and Japan. While it may accurately portray a WWII gala as you’d have read in your history textbook, it is without denial that its nothing more than COD4 with more brown and gray and some extra perks and flames thrown into the mix. While COD4 started with a bang, World at War merely begins with a yelp. It’s evident that the perk system was the new mantra on the ailing COD franchise. When Infinity Ward first implemented perks, it was the best thing next to baked bread. World at War follows on the same footsteps providing an expanded perk system and to make things better, they have thrown in tanks and extra large maps to give the claustrophobic shooter a better meaning.

Gameplay significantly changes in mutiplayer. Just like COD4, you are awarded with a recon plane for a 3 kill streak and artillery strike for a 5 kill streak, but instead of seeing a pre-historic chopper mow down your enemies post 7 kill streak, World at War makes a subtle change by replacing it with an angry pack of dogs that chase after your enemy. Its often a good idea following these ally dogs as they lead you to your enemies. A new War mode is introduced wich is similar to capturing control points in the Battlefield series. Moreover, World at War follows a persistant ranked system with Level 65 as the final rank, after which you’d be able to unlock the Prestige Mode for further achievements. It all comes down to the fact that we enjoyed playing the multiplayer component of the game much more than its single player campaign.

World at War kicks off with a bloody and brutal cut-scene that puts you in the shoes of a captive having to endure the sight of your comrade being executed with a knife. Sadly though, it fails to impress and unlike the adrenaline rush we felt with the President’s execution by Al-Asaad in COD4, World of War makes a vain attempt at some cheap thrills. On the positive side, it is the goriest ever game in the franchise but, then again, we all know how “Clive Barker: Jericho” turned out to be all gore and nothing more. World at War follows on the same linear gameplay and we earnestly wish Treyarch could’ve spent their potential more on making it “cough” free roam “cough” than throwing in a few more perks. The sceneries though are no doubt gorgeous and only a fool would disagree with its surreal beauty. Ironically, it’s like having an indoor theme park and spending the rest of your life chained to a fence only being able to gaze at the beauty before you. Fact is, you’d be able to see an Eden beyond the canopy and bushes of your tightly scripted pathway, but what’s the use of such scope without the freedom to go there?

Then, there’s the issue with the voice acting, which becomes blatantly clear that one man was hired to do every single voice in the game in a different dialect. The trailers they release with war veterans talking about the brutalities of war in a constipated tone is downright cheesy as sh!t and it’s a far cry from the explosive, dynamic conversations we’re accustomed to in COD4. Character voices are poorly done and while some weapons sound like paintball guns, others sound like ripping Velcro which puts the audio out of proportion. To add insult to injury, you always hear a last minute ‘automated’ battle cry in multiplayer that says, “victory is not out of reach”, even after getting a spanking so hard from the enemy team that’s guaranteed to make you sit and pee for a week. Talk about optimism, eh?

Graphically, the game redeems itself with visuals far superior that COD4 and myriad other post processing effects that adds to the overall immersion. Weapons have a certain polish on them that appears to show signs of use. Battles and levels are recreated accurately, making this the best looking WWII shooter we have played in a long time and hopefully this would be the last of it. Metal and armor have a distinguishable gloss and pattern that’s usually not common among games. The icing on the graphical cake is the ability to create flames thanks to the flamethrower that you can use to torch your enemy to cinders. Explosions and shotguns create a gruesome graffiti of blood and gut never seen before in a Call of Duty game.

It’s tough to argue whether World of War is worth your money or not. Treyarch have loaded the box with a plethora of content sure to make any penny pincher happy. Apart from the single-player campaign, the game offers co-op gameplay and multiplayer to duke it out with online opponents in over a dozen maps. As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll be able to unlock other extras like Nazi Zombie mode by collecting death cards during your campaign. Nazi Zombie is a “la Resident Evil” experience in which you protect yourself from Hitler’s army of undead by continuously barricading and shooting down the incoming horde.

At the end of the day, what Treyarch did is take a perfectly blend recipe, add a little salt and pepper and release it as a full game. Call of Duty: World at War feels like it’s nothing more than a mod to the acclaimed COD4 title. For now, we can’t help but, agree that the flamethrower is the game’s only poster child.

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift

The first MotorStorm for the PS3 was received with some mixed reactions. Some felt the game was a bit rushed for the launch of the PS3, others were just glad to have a game to play on their new system. The game was than bundled with the PS3 at a very reasonable price, and the rest is history. Almost everyone with a PS3 played the first MotorSorm at least once, making it a popular game and there for paving the way for the 2nd game in the series to shine. MotorStorm: Pacific Rift comes in with the same gameplay style and settings of the first game minus all the bugs and issues plus a set of diverse new environments to race in. How does all of that sum up? Read on and find out for yourself.

Firing up the game for the first time you will be glad to see the new and slick presentation system. Thankfully this time around almost everything in the game loads faster, a huge improvement over the first instalment in the series. Game modes wise this year, everything is still a bit limited. You will not find any original game types or races that will surprise you. Everything is summed up in racing from one check point to another or hot lap races where the last driver gets eliminated. Thanks to a pretty fun and accessible online mode however, the lack of any original offline gaming modes can be forgiven. Forgiven for a reason though, the game officially allows up to 16 players to go at in one race, a pretty impressive number right there and finally a reason for more people to start using the PSN already.

Any track you will race through in this game will manage to impress you in one way or another. If the beautiful beaches and tropical environments fail to impress you, then maybe the amazingly done lighting effect would get the job done. While the first game presented us with nearly identical tracks one after another, this game makes sure tracks vary in content and looks. One track might be set in a tropical forest while the other runs across the beach. The environments affects don’t just end with the looks, the trees will knock smaller vehicles off and the water will cause your vehicle to slip more often. Due to the number of shortcuts and paths in each race, you will have to practice a track before going deep into the game. Picking one path over the other is very vital and might sometimes win or lose you the race altogether.

Another alerting change in Pacific Rift is the vehicle physics. Each vehicle you pick will drive, handle and perform in a different way. The larger vehicles will struggle to drive through narrower paths but they will smash anything that dares to stand in their way. Driving a smaller vehicle through a forest on the other hand is a headache, hit anything and your car is upside down instantly. Typically however, those very same little vehicles are faster and easier to control. All what we said might sound like a must in any racing game coming out these days, but the way it is executed in Pacific Rift is at least worth mentioning. It might not be anything revolutionary gameplay wise, but how it complements the already beautifully done environments is really impressive.

What everyone wants to know is how different this game is compared to the first MotorStorm? Other than what we already mentioned the game comes with a new split screen mode that many offline multiplayer fans will enjoy. The split screen game will support up to 4 players hogging the same screen in the same time. Other than that, the controls slightly improved this year as well. Many gamers complained that vehicles slipped off track way too many times the first time around. This time the slipping is still there, especially in water filled tracks, but at least the unrealistic skidding off the road is toned down a bit.

As long as you game in HD, this game is going to blow you away graphics wise. Each track is as colourful as it gets with the inspiring blue sky and beach sites so striking you will want to take the next week off to travel and see it for yourself. It is clear from this game’s own cover and marketing campaign that Sony wants everyone to know how good this game looks. All this graphical goodness runs flawlessly as well. The car physics in the game is also a strong feature especially when interacting with the surrounding environments. Driving into other vehicles could have been executed better however, especially when running into one of those larger trucks in the game, the scene than will be anything but pretty.

The sound track in this game is good. While nothing ground breaking in any way possible, it still goes well with all the sun shine and racing going on. Sound effects wise you will certainly not be blown away by the clicks your speakers will play every time you hit another car. Overall, and due to the impressive outing for both the gameplay and graphical departments, the sound effects might be the weakest link in this game. We are not saying they are bad, just compared to the high standards of everything else; the series can certainly improve in this area.

The fact that the game looks fantastic was mentioned and mentioned again in this review, but is that enough to go ahead and buy this game? Don’t let the graphics talk get to you however. What this game brings to the table is more than just pretty graphics. It has the gameplay options that will keep you busy for some time, while most importantly, having fun. Coming up with such a solid online offering also helps plus the different physics for each vehicle is a real cool addition. At the end of the day, the game is released in a very busy time of the year. With a ton of racing games out there to choose from, including most recently Midnight Club LA and Need for Speed, picking up this game might sound too risky. Fans of the first game MUST pick this one up simply because it by far exceeds everything the first game presented us with. Other gamers, a word of advice, nothing is more enjoyable than a tropical break between some Gears of War 2 online demolishing and a little exploring in Fallout 3.

GRIN Announces Terminator Salvation

Press release:
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Equity Games Production and Halcyon Games announce Terminator Salvation – The Videogame an action-packed, third-person shooter, to be released in conjunction with the highly anticipated Warner Bros. Pictures and Sony Pictures film, which opens nationwide in 2009.

Based on the upcoming “Terminator Salvation” film, the game offers players the chance to assume the role of John Connor, a soldier in the resistance, battling for survival against the far superior forces of Skynet. Terminator Salvation – The Videogame is a third-person action game with concentrated armed combat against all of the Skynet enemies from the film while encountering new enemies specifically designed for the game. The game was developed by GRIN Studios, published by Equity Games, co-published by Evolved Games and distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

“Terminator Salvation – The Videogame allows players to battle for survival against Skynet enemies utilizing an incredibly fluid and realistic control set,” said Cos Lazouras, President of Halcyon Games. “The player will be led through a visceral story with extremely polished production values to create a fully interactive Terminator experience.”

“Building on the incredibly strong franchise, Terminator Salvation – The Videogame will be a cinematic gaming experience that complements the upcoming film,” said John Quinn, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Working with Halcyon and Equity Games, we will expand on the Terminator universe on next generation consoles with action packed gameplay and detailed environments.”

MySims

It’s nice to know that if you get tired of living in the real world, you can invest some of your precious time in cyberspace. And what better way to spend that time than with The Sims series of games. Having been around for a good number of years (since the days of SimCity), The Sims have drawn in thousands of players over the years, who spend their time glued to their PCs tending to every need of their town’s inhabitants. With MySims, EA has drastically changed the way the game plays out in order to appeal to younger gamers. Though this does make the game easier to manage, it leaves out much of what makes a Sims game so addictive.

To start off, the game’s story revolves around a town that was once bustling with activity and people, but soon falls into disrepair when the magical builders who made everything in the town started to disappear. You play as the last builder who has come to save the town and return it to its former glory. As with most games in the Sims franchise, you start off by creating your own controllable Sim, which looks like a cross between Sackboy and a Lego brick. Once you’ve ‘moved in’ to the town, you meet the town’s mayor, who swiftly tells you what you need to do around town before letting you go out and explore by yourself.

As a builder, you have the ability to create anything the townsfolk need. You do this by collecting various Essences, which are hidden around town, or can be unlocked by fulfilling certain requests from the townsfolk. You first order of duty is to build a house for yourself, which is where you’re introduced to one of the two building environments. When building houses, all you do is select your desired piece, such as a door, roof, window, or chimney, and drop it onto a chequered area. You can zoom or rotate your structure at any time to get a better view, which is highly recommended as the automatic object-snapping can often snap things out of alignment.

Once you’ve handled building houses, you then move on to building furniture (insert bad IKEA joke here). To build furniture, you need to pick up blueprints for them – once you have the required blueprint, you can switch to the building environment which shows a ghost image of what the finished item will look like. All you then have to do is drag and rotate shapes at the bottom of the screen and drop them onto the ghost image to create the final product – you can then place your finished item anywhere in your house or your town.

While the game initially starts of well, its easy to soon get bored of the repetitive blueprint- hunting and furniture building. Unlike other Sim games, you don’t have any needs to manage for your town, such as hunger, social skills, or even money. All you do is waddle around town and build houses and furniture. Occasionally, you can get your kicks by walking up to a tree and shaking it to get some Essence – make sure you don’t go too crazy! Because the gameplay has been simplified so much, the game will only appeal to very young gamers who just want to have a wander around their own little virtual town. And if you get tired of walking around your own town, you can log onto an online ‘garden’ with up to 7 of your friends to chat and trade furniture or other items – think of it as an online flea market. Where the game does do well is the presentation – the game bursts with colour and oozes cuteness, so it’s likely to have immediate appeal to younger gamers, although I did face some framerate and camera issues when running around town. The background music is chirpy and blends in with the town’s mood, and Simlish dialogue is rampant whenever you interact with someone.

What it all boils down to in the end is that MySims is really not a Sims game. With no needs to look after, it’s easy to quickly tire of the endless furniture building and blueprint-hunting. This is a game that can be recommended to younger players in a heartbeat, but if you’re an older game or a avid Sims fan, then give this game a miss.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

Some people went ahead and claimed this game as a match made in heaven from the first day it was announced. I mean, what is there to hate? You have a highly acclaimed developer in BioWare handling the development of a game based on a lovable superstar mascot, so how exactly can things go wrong? Well we are not going to find ways for such a game to go wrong, but rather mention the few issues that keep Sonics’ attempt at an RPG from being the perfect medicine for all the displeasured sonic fans out there.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood kicks off impressively. All the popular sonic characters are there and the world around you is very bright and colourful. So you will really be left with a positive impression regarding the game to start with. From here on though, how much you like this game is based on your own gaming preference. This is not a hardcore RPG game based on an epic story or complicated characters, at the end of the day it’s Sonic the hedgehog you are controlling. So anyone expecting a final fantasy sonic should leave this game alone. We are not saying this game has no story or that the story is not worth mentioning, it is just not up to the standards set by other RPGs on the system. You will spend your time collecting dull items and doing chores for characters in the game for no reason. For better or worse, the main idea in the game is still to beat down on Dr. Egg man himself.

Gameplay wise this game also appeals to a pretty well segmented sector of gamers. Most of the gameplay involves you beating simple puzzles and finding items in quiet obvious spots. Which means hardcore RPG fans should look elsewhere. Actually come to think about it, this game fits best for those looking for a handheld game to pass by sometime with. The gameplay is pretty simple and just like any other RPG game the fighting is straight forward:  Pick you attack, choose your opponent and confirm using the touch screen. Each character on your team comes with its own set of abilities and powers. So you will need to find the right combination of characters to keep on your side. Playing the game itself, you will be doing less exploring and more orders following. The game does feature some well designed areas to explore, but most of the time you will have a direct route to follow to complete an objective.

The one touch everyone expected BioWare to add to this game is the deep and effective dialogue system found in games such as Mass Effect. Well, you will be doing some talking in Sonic Chronicles, but not to the effect to alter the game or its story. Every time you are in a conversation you will have the option to reply in a positive, negative or neutral manner depending on the situation.  Unlike games such as Mass Effects and Star Wars Knights of the old republic, both by BioWare, the dialogue rarely affects the game’s story path here.

Overall the game is a bit too pretty. The graphics are fine but the colours are what stand out the most. The developers wanted to make sure everything is a tad more colourful than what you would expect, giving the game a pretty friendly coat generally. The character design is top notch, a must considering some of the all stars on the roster. At times you might face a little slow down when it comes to the top view camera on hand. The slow downs are nothing major but not having them around would have been better for the game’s sake. Keep in mind that this is a DS game we are talking about, so any comparisons with console RPGs shouldn’t be on your mind.

Handheld games don’t usually just suffer in the graphics department however, but in the sound department as well. Sonic Chronicles will treat sonic fans with a pretty mediocre sound effects system that lacks efficiency and fire power. The music on the other hand can go either way, some tracks are pretty well done and support the gameplay well while others are pretty out of place and fail to add any impressions to the game.

We are confident every sonic fan already has this game sitting pretty on his/her desk. So buying and investing time into this game is a no brainer for any sonic the hedgehog fan out there. RPG fans might have some issues and some might even disagree in how the game is portrayed and how the story plays out at the end. Everyone else though might enjoy giving this game a go. It is a pretty simple adventure that you will enjoy firing up during a bus drive or long breaks between classes. While nothing is confirmed yet, this game looks to be the first in a running series. So with this more than impressive debut, things can only get better for Sonics’ RPG adventure

Halo 3: Recon is Open World

Some Halo 3: Recon information update here, people. The latest issue of Game Informer magazine has some juicy details on the Halo 3 expansion. But the folks at CVG were kind enough to leak of few tid-bits.

The biggest of them all is that Halo 3: Recon will be an open world game. You will take control of a rookier Orbital Drop Shock Trooper who is in search for his other four squad members in the city of New Mombasa. Players will be able to set waypoints to find the last known location of the squad members with the new PDA. Every location will uncover clues which will trigger a playable flashback were the player will take on the role of the missing squad member to find out what had happened to him. The flashback levels will be the regular, linear Halo levels however.

Being ODST will prove to be a tough task than being a super-powered Spartans. For one,  you will lose the regenerating shields. You will also lose the motion tracker, superhuman speed, jump and coordination (that means no dual wielding…you just aren’t strong enough!). Oh and you will be a lot shorter as well. That would be interesting.

New Xbox 360 Firmware Update Now Available

Well, here it is folks. Microsoft has pushed the launch button for the much awaited and anticipated Xbox 360 makeover, calling it the ‘New Xbox Experience’. The new firmware will introduce a host of new features such as Netflix, avatars, avatar based games, new resolutions for VGA users, a brand new slick and fast interface, HDD game installations and much more. More details in the press release below:.

Press release:
In 1954, the introduction of colour TV heralded the dawn of a new era in entertainment. On Nov. 19, more than 50 years after that dramatic shift, a new era in home entertainment begins with the New Xbox Experience as millions of Xbox 360™ consoles will transform instantly through the power of software. A bold new future begins now, where high definition entertainment is delivered in an instant, the best games share the stage with the best movies, and every experience is shared with friends and families, in the same room or around the world.

By the end of this month, Xbox 360 will reach another industry defining milestone: 25 million Xbox 360 consoles sold worldwide. It has taken the leading next generation game and entertainment console just three years to eclipse the total lifetime number of original Xbox consoles sold.

“The future of home entertainment is Xbox 360 – it’s on demand, it’s high definition, it’s always social, it’s all in one place,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With the New Xbox Experience we will reach the next generation of Xbox owners, 25 million and beyond. We are at a watershed moment, backed by the largest entertainment brands, with an incredible line up of entertainment unmatched in any industry.”All your Friends and Favorite Entertainment, One Remote Control
With the Nov. 19’s launch of the New Xbox Experience, Xbox 360 owners will enjoy a limitless world where the best games, movies and experiences are ready to share with friends across the globe through Xbox LIVE:

• Xbox LIVE Party. Xbox 360 allows you to create a virtual party on your TV with up to seven friends. With LIVE Party, voice chat while you play games, share photos in real time and entertain friends all over the world.
• Bring Your Personality to Life. Create a customizable, animated avatar and literally jump into the world of Xbox LIVE. Your avatar is your game-face throughout the New Xbox Experience and represents your personality — whether you are a LIVE Party host, playing a game of “Scene It? Box Office Smash” or chatting with a friend.
• On-demand entertainment. Xbox 360 is home to the best High Definition movie entertainment, including a large online library of more than 15,000 on-demand high-definition TV shows and movies from global partners such as Constantin, Disney, MGM, NBC Universal Inc. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
• Your Personal Game Room: Play revived classics like “PAC-MAN Championship Edition,” “Galaga Legions” and “Portal: Still Alive” alongside games that literally put your Avatars in the action like “Bomberman LIVE,” “Hardwood Hearts,” “Hardwood Spades,” “Kingdom for Keflings” and ”UNO,” exclusively for download from Xbox LIVE Arcade. Xbox LIVE members will also be able to access all of Xbox LIVE Marketplace, including Xbox LIVE Arcade, and even queue content to download straight from Xbox.com.
• Games for the community, by the community. For the first time in the history of console gaming, thousands of games developed by the creative community will be available to the public. The Community Games channel on Xbox LIVE will include games made by students, hobbyists, and maybe even your next door neighbor and will be exclusive to Xbox LIVE.

Xbox 360 Puts you in the Spotlight This Holiday
While the Xbox 360 has evolved into a world-class entertainment device, it remains the best place to play. In concert with the launch of the New Xbox Experience, two entertainment heavyweights step in to the spotlight, ready to wow audiences across the world. Friday 21st Nov sees the launch of “Lips” whilst “You’re in the Movies” is coming in November 28th – two games that promise to get you on your feet performing like a star.

• “Lips” an all-new music franchise exclusively for Xbox 360. “Lips” is the only singing game that offers wireless motion-sensitive microphones and the ability to sing to a diverse list of included songs representing multiple musical genres, ranging from pop, rock and dance to hip-hop, country and R&B, as well as compatible songs from your music collection
• “You’re in the Movies” brings out the movie star in everyone this holiday season, coming exclusively to Xbox 360 on November 28th. “You’re In The Movies” is the first and only game of its kind that transports players into a magical world of cinema and hilarious improvisations. Using the Xbox LIVE Vision camera, friends and families choose a script, act it out and in minutes watch the often hilarious, always entertaining results

The World’s Biggest Names in Entertainment, All in One Place
No device offers more entertainment than Xbox 360. Today major film studios around the world unveiled their plans to offer feature films on Xbox LIVE in Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, truly transforming the Xbox 360 into the world’s largest online entertainment center:
• Magnolia Pictures- The studio that released such groundbreaking and award winning feature films as “The Worlds Fastest Indian,” “The Host,” “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and “Ong Bak” will be bringing their slate of compelling feature films to Xbox LIVE in Canada and in the United States.
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM)- MGM is bringing their library of blockbuster movies to Xbox LIVE in Italy and Spain. MGM, already available in Canada, Germany, France, the U.K. and the U.S., will offer films such as “Carrie,”
“Rocky” and “Species” on Xbox LIVE around the world.
• Paramount Pictures- Paramount Digital Entertainment will mark the two year anniversary of making their movies available on Xbox LIVE by becoming a content provider in Spain and Italy. Films such as ”Iron Man,” “Stop Loss” and “The Ruins” will be made available worldwide this fall.
• Warner Bros. Home Entertainment- Will now make 100 movie titles available on Xbox LIVE in Italy including “Interview with a Vampire’”and the Matrix Triology. Xbox LIVE in Spain will also offer 100 movie titles including “Sweeney Todd” and “One Missed Call” . Currently the studio offers content in Canada, Germany, France, UK and USA

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