Xbox 360 and nothing else
So it was launch week in the video game world with the launch of the Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii, both causing crowds and lines and general panic among gamers across the United States. As for me, I was happy with my year old Xbox 360, which has released some really awesome games over the last month. So here is a sample of the games I have been playing on my Xbox 360.
Early in the month I got Splinter Cell: Double Agent, which I really wanted to get into but quickly stopped playing. I like the idea behind the Splinter Cell games, but the trial and error nature of their design just turns me off. I want to enjoy the little time I have to play games for real entertainment, not be frustrated.
So there was now a void in my game playing, so in comes the big game for the Xbox 360 this winter, Gears of War. Gears of War was just the game I needed. Challenging, but not hair pulling frustrating, easy to play for bursts, absolutely beautiful even on my non-HDTV, and lots of explosions! The guys at Epic really have crafted a great game. I need to spend more time with multiplayer, but I have been very happy with the single player. The pacing is extremely well crafted, the story does its job, and the combat is just very satisfying. The addition of the active reload system is genius. It is a ridiculously simple idea, but even more puzzleing that no one has done it before. Congrats to the guys at Epic for making such a fun and visually impressive game.
In the middle of my killing in Gears of War comes the family friendly Viva Pinata, which my girlfriend really wanted. She loves games like The Sims and Animal Crossing, so this was right up here alley. We both fire up the game and see this very polished and beautiful looking game with rich colors and cute characters, but shortly after playing we see the darker side of Viva Pinata. The killing! The sex! The cannibalism! If it happens in nature, it happens in this game, but with pinatas. It actually is a very well crafted god game. I really have no idea what I am doing half the time, but I feel I need to breed more whirlms (worms). It is a great time killer, and really worth checking out at any age. Don’t like the nice kid friendly exterior fool you.
And last on the list right now is Rainbow Six: Vegas, the next installment of the highly successful game from Ubisoft. This time the game takes place in Vegas (who would have thought), but the game starts out in Mexico. I am not very far (just got to Vegas), but so far the game is very well crafted. The weapons feel right, the controls are spot on, the graphics are amazing looking (outside of the characters), and the story is pretty good. I need more time playing single player, but I am pleasantly surprised with the game, as I was never a big fan of the earlier games in the series. The real buzz about this game is the multiplayer, which friends and co-workers will not shut up about. Pretty much take CounterStrike and give yourself a persistent character to play with, so you can build up armor, buy weapon modifications, or change your outfit. It really adds something to the game if everyone can modify what they have and keep it. I might be playing some matches this weekend, so look for the guy that sucks.
So as your can see there are some amazing games out for the Xbox 360 right now and you don’t have to wait in line or pay some insane price to play some great games.
