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GAME ON!
By Ian Bonds
April 21st, 2006
Last week, we had a feature on the recent outpouring of handheld titles. This week, we’re taking a look at the smattering of games that have been released for the Xbox 360. Settle in, kids, for what the next generation brings us…
JUST ONE X SHY…
Good lord, what is this world coming to? And no, there’s no pun intended in that last statement, that was purely rhetorical. Still, the question is posed due to the recent release of RUMBLE ROSES XX for the Xbox 360, a game where skin is in, and in abundance. Sure, it’s a wrestling title, but who’ll notice?
When the original was released for the PS2, it was regarded as a bit of eye-candy fluff, full of Japanese Fetish Wrestlers and the like. This year’s sequel takes that idea and runs it into the ground, removing any storyline or semblance of order and just has straight-up wrestling…albeit scantily clad though it may be. Gone also is the “Mad Mud Match” and “Hands Free Mode” of the previous title, though with this much gratuitous exhibitionism, it’s surprising.
What is added is a new tag team match type, as well as 3-way and 4-way rumble types, as well as the brand new Street Fights and Queen’s Match, where the loser has to perform a “task” such as skipping rope or playing limbo, all in a bikini. Now the full-on girl gropes can happen with a larger number of breasts per capita. Fantastic. You can even buy new outfits for the girls with your winnings from the matches, and even go so far as to take them into a PHOTO SHOOT where they pose for pictures with their dead, doll eyes and plastic bodies.
There’s a certain amount of customization for your slu…er, superstars, and even a mild create-a-character mode, but the main game is a bit skewed, as it’s confusing as to how one actually achieves a title match, let a lone “wins” the entire game. Not that the folks who buy this game will care. To its credit, the controls are fairly competent, though performing a reversal is a bit difficult, and I always seem to lose the Humiliation matches, since I can never build up my opponents meter first. Humiliations, are of course, returning from the previous game, but this time are even more….humiliating. The match types are varied enough, but there’re only five different arenas in which to grapple, and the characters still don’t seem to have enough of a variety of moves.
As an argument for women in games, yeah, this one won’t win any awards. Sure, the graphics are next-gen pretty and…um…you can adjust your girl’s measurements, both in muscle and in…proportions. I didn’t even try the online mode, for fear of whom I might meet online. The first game was enjoyable as a passing laugh, but this one raises a few too many eyebrows…unless that’s your thing.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD
Flight sims are few and far between for most consoles, usually relegated to PC gaming. Every so often, however, the console gamer gets an opportunity to “spread their wings”, per se. BLAZING ANGELS: SQUADRONS OF WWII, out now for Xbox, PS2, PC, and obviously Xbox 360, takes the flight sim and throws a bit of arcade action its way. The results are a mixed bag of fun and frustration.
As an American pilot stationed with the British allies, you must help your squadron take down the German planes, ground troops and the like. The game is set off into 14 missions, all with different level constraints, but it’s pretty straight forward. Fly around, shoot stuff, repeat. To help you, the left trigger acts a sort of lock-on feature. Pull it, and the camera swings around for you to focus on the closest target. Then, you just adjust your course and head in that direction.
The problem with this lock-on is that I tend to use it too much. After focusing on my target, I keep the trigger held down, just so I can keep my eyes on him should I pass him. This adds to disorientation, and more often than not as I’m swinging around to catch up after I pass him, I end up slamming into the ground. Not the game’s fault, I’m sure…I just suck at flying.
The graphics here do a good job at conveying the sense of speed and flight, and the detail on the planes is very well done. Well, up close anyway. Things in the distance lose and incredible amount of detail, so much so that when targeting, often all you’ll see is the little red triangles around…well, a tiny blob. Also, the sound has a few issues. While everything sounds right as far as engine noise and guns, the voice acting goes from amateur to downright bad. Maybe it’s the actual scripted dialogue, or maybe not, either way, midway through the game you’ll want to shoot your wingmen.
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The online game is where the best action is, however. Dogfights flow very well, and for fans of CRIMSON SKIES on the original Xbox will find much to enjoy here, supporting up to 14 other planes. The action does lean a bit more towards the “arcade” feel rather than realism, so don’t go in expecting a hardcore flight simulation.
All in all, with its highs and lows, the game is well done, though some marks bring it down from true greatness. The controls are responsive enough but I just keep slamming into the ground too much to enjoy a mission for too long (but, again, maybe that’s just me) and the voicework is just plain painful. If you’re looking for some quick, fun dogfights online, though, this is a good place to start for the next-gen.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
FAR FROM HOME
While I missed the original Xbox’s version, and though I couldn’t get the PC one to load properly on my computer, I finally have a shot at planning the much lauded FAR CRY series with FAR CRY INSTINCTS: PREDATOR, now on Xbox 360. Here, they’ve re-released the original Xbox INSTINCTS game, as well as added a brand new PREDATOR game, unlockable when you beat the original.
The story remains the same. Jack Carver, while on a simple boating tour, gets attacked by a group of mysterious mercenaries on a seemingly deserted island. As he fights for survival, he unlocks a hidden rage within him, an almost feral instinct which aids him in his fight for freedom. As he progresses, he learns more about the mercenaries and his new powers. Throughout the game, players will not only be able to do the normal FPS actions of running and shooting, but Jack also has the ability to set up spring traps on trees, and pilot any number of crafts from jeeps and humvees to jet-skis and boats.
The graphics are stepped up a bit from the original, with smoother textures and the like, though there still isn’t too much detail in the character models. Also, while some of the AI can be vicious and unrelenting in their attacks, still others can be downright dumb, stepping out of cover to attack you, or just running in place against a rock while trying to escape your fury. I mean, they’d have to be dumb to walk into one of those traps you set up…they’re so obvious looking!
Still, the big appeal for this title isn’t the main story, it’s the online modes. Deathmatches abound, but there’s a good bit of team play as different sides try to steal the other’s viral serum in a sort of “capture the flag” set-up, as well as the exclusive “predator” game mode, where hidden on a map is a vial of serum that instantly turns you feral and heightens your senses.
What makes these online modes so unique is the game’s option to design your own maps, and then take them online. The map editor is very well done, and you can literally design any number of different looks and locales to your heart’s content. When I went online, one person had even designed a level that mostly underwater. It worked well traveling between the two towering platforms, then swimming under to plan a sneak attack.
All in all, the game is a load of fun, while throwing in some good customization for a multiplayer game. It’s not a great looking game, but it does its job, and the vehicles aren’t too difficult to control, and are often more fun that just running around like a wild beast. The main draw here is obviously the online, though…most players will spend their time in the map editor trying to one up each other.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
QUICKSHOT OF THE WEEK
So, I briefly got my hands on a copy of ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION last week. I only had enough time to play through the initial sewer stage, so, as many of you know, I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of the game. Plus, this is a huge adventure, filled with a zillion things to do, so my full review isn’t quite done yet. I will say that the graphics are VERY well done, playing very well to the 360’s strengths. There’s an enormous amount of freedom in the game, allowing players to take just about any path they choose. One could literally spend all of their game time on side quests, never once touching the main story, and still be fully entertained. As soon as I get a chance to do so, my main review will be up. SO far, however, initial reactions are strong.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
Whew. That’s a lot of 360. Thanks for checking it out this week, and don’t forget to peep my SILENT HILL retrospective this week as well. See you next time.
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