MEMBER PROFILE FOR kappaknight
Average Overall Score Given: 8.03846 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 34
Reviews
Xbox 360 Video Game System
Overall: The upgrade to 360 has definitely been worth it. The experience at Xbox Live has been enhanced. The visuals and sounds have definitely been enhanced. Movie playback has been enhanced. I love the Xbox Arcade...I was a bit worried at first since I owned the original Xbox with the Duke controllers and I never got used to the controller S. However, playing with the 360 controllers felt pretty easy to get used to and I had no problems at all switching over. Having all the functions including on/off, disc eject to be operable remotely is a great touch. I can't wait to see what else this thing can do once hooked up to the PC and other things.
Suggestions: My first request would be to have bigger harddrives. The next would probably be better headsets. If everything else was designed with careful consideration and stuff, I don't see why you guys got lazy when it came to the headset. Overall, I am happy with it though.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
Star Wars: Battlefront 2
Overall: Battlefront I was one of the cooler Star Wars games I've played, Battlefront II solved a lot of issues that Battlefront I had. Overall, I would probably call this Battlefront 1.5.Gameplay: Compared to the first game, there are some great improvements over the original. The gameplay still feels the same, however you do get to pilot fighters and control guns on capital ships from a remote control room. (That technique is new and one that I really enjoy.)
The campaign for BF2 is also many times better than the original. Not only do you do famous battles as seen in the movies, you do them inside a story which makes the whole experience a lot more meaningful than the original.
Multiplayer wise, they could have improved the net code a bit... there are still lags but for the most part, less than the first battlefront.
Graphics: Visually the game is great. It's not as clear as Halo and some of the newer games out, but it's on par for having great graphics for being one of the SW based games.
Audio: The sounds are all ripped from the movies so they are pretty much accurate to the environment. When you play this game, you will feel as if you are there in the SW universe.
Suggestions: With the 360 launch so close, an emulator could have been put out to make this game compatible with the 360. Investigating alternate network code could also help improve the game as certain laggy experiences are killing the fun. Why not ask Bungie to try their net code? Just a thought.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Call of Duty 2
Overall: I don't play much computer games so I can't really say how this compares as a port from the PC version. However, the game itself as a console game is one of the best FPS I've played; Halo 2 included. There is a lot of forum chat and hype surrounding this game and so far, nothing I've read is false information. If you are one of the people who got the Xbox early, make sure this game is on your list of games to own.Gameplay: The campaign for this game really tests your FPS skills. Unlike Halo where you are a superhero fighting aliens and almost nothing hindered your skills, here you are just a regular human being stuck in a war and you can actually feel it too. The gun recoils so you can't aim 100% accurately; you get stunned if you're too close to explosions; you actually need to take cover, crouch and crawl and depend on your team mates to survive. If Halo could incorporate some skills and tactics in its missions to create the feeling of fighting a major war, these would be the additions that I'd want the game to have. Also, this game allows you to choose your paths depending on which puzzles you solve first and/or difficulty. I played through the initial Russian missions and watched my friend played through some and they were totally different. There is definitely some replay value here...
Graphics: Visually this game has amazed everyone who has played on my DLP HDTV. The smoke effects so far have been my favorite on top of rain, snow and faces. While I wouldn't call the visual effects next gen quite yet, it has definitely impressed everyone (including myself who played the demo initially) to go out and buy this game. Sometimes it's even worth taking a break from the constant bullet firings to admire the scenery. Of course, everything in the game looks authentic and accurate as well.
Audio: Wow, what can I say... the sound effects are amazing. More so when you use the surround sound. To hear bullets being fired in every direction and to be able to tell that they are close and/or far is amazing and it just adds to the whole experience of the game. The constant voices and yelling of stuff by your teammates also make this game come to life. You will not be disappointed; period.
Suggestions: This game has one of the strongest campaigns ever, but multiplayer lacks many features. While people don't usually play in squads or actually perfect teamwork for online play, more thought could have been used to design a better multiplayer experience with more players. If online co-op would have been possible, that would have been great.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
Overall: This game is cute and it's relaxing to play. Unlike some of the other games where it's frustrating when you die before you can accomplish your mission, here, you are given unlimited lives to live through the Star Wars experience. The game is easy to figure out and fun enough that my girlfriend and I often co-op in missions.Gameplay: The game is really easy to figure out and out of the 1000 buttons on the Xbox controller, only the primary buttons are used. The camera angles sometimes remind of the old Double Dragon but overall the effects and views are nice.
Graphics: Visually, the game stays true to its Lego nature and even the Star Wars nature. If someone made a movie out of this setup, it would be very interesting to see. Over all, there really aren't any complaints to the graphics.
Audio: The music here is kinda cantina cheesy, but you can't get too serious when you're staring at Lego heroes. The best part about this game is probably the lack of dialogue which means you don't have to hear Jar Jar during this game.
Suggestions: Make another one that goes through episodes 4-6. Then before episodes 7-9 can come out, make your game version first. ;0)
Overall Score: 7.0 / 10
Halo 2
Overall: This game rocks the party, that rocks the party. It was a bit weird getting used to it at first, but the more I play it, the more I love it. This will definitely keep me entertained for years.Gameplay: The gameplay is similar to that of the first Halo, at the same time, it's completely different. All the weapons have been toned down for balance so the shotguns now seem weaker as well as the infamous new pistol. However, the fun factor of Halo is still there and when you take it online on Live, the experience gets so much better!
Graphics: At first glance (at the midnight madness), I thought this game's graphics were that of a PC game's. HOLY CR@P!@$E, the graphics are good. It seems that on some of the older Thompson drives, the bump mapping takes a second to click in in the cinematics, but overall, A+ rating for this game. One thing though... there were a lot of fires on the levels... if they had indeed mastered the fire code, why not throw in the flamethrower?
Audio: Music and funny AI phrases rule in this game. There really isn't much to say other than the fact that everything about it is great. The sounds sound authentic but the Master Chief doesn't scream as much when he dies...
Suggestions: Keep going! More download campaign levels or more multi-player maps and stuff. Either way, you have a winner and I hope the support continues for months and years to come. I would love to see Halo 3 for the next Xbox.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
X-Men: Legends
Overall: The game ties in very well with the X-Men plot. I don't read the newer comics anymore but supposily the characters here are up to par with some of the newest characters introduced in the comics. The overall look and feel of the game is great and it's fun to play. However to call this game a RPG would have been similar in calling Hunter or Double Dragon as RPG's. Gameplay: This game is fun to play. The game advertises itself as 4 players but if you're looking for action similar to Hunter: The Reckoning or something, then you wouldn't like the surprise. The game allows UP TO 4 players which means for parts of the storyline and some missions where 4 players are not called upon, your friends may feel a bit left out watching you play. While I understnad this is a RPG, it would have been nice if we could have just loaded four characters and threw them into battle like Hunter. The conversations for the most part are only one direction anyway. Only after long conversations can you choose how to end the meeting with one of a few choices.
Graphics: This game looks great! It's 720p and it supports widescreen HDTV's. The extra space helps especially with some of the awkward camera angles that the game chooses to display. Visually, everything looks amazing and the powers look great. Some of the cut scenes could use more work though.
Audio: The voices and the battle sounds of this game is great. Xavier sounds like Patrick Stewart; I didn't pay attention to the rest of the mutants. No complaints here.
Suggestions: Create an arcade mode where four mutants can just go at it in the War Room or fighting Sentinels. This may already be a part of the plot (I haven't played that far) but it sucks that you can't just buy the game, plot it in the [X] and instantly have your friends play with you from the beginning. The first couple of levels were slow enough that it'd be boring to watch... Not really sure what else to add; maybe add Live Aware into the next version. For a first time try, this is great.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Star Wars: Battlefront
Overall: This is possibly one of the best Star Wars game ever made and it translate the feel of the movies into the game! Battle in the Clone Wars or in battles seen in the original three movies. Online Live play adds a lot of replay value to this game.Gameplay: The game feels very natural in your hands. After getting used to the controls, it's easy to move around, crouch, lay low, get into the various robots, ships and turrets. If you were to watch this game being played, it really feels like you're watching the movies. One complaint that I have is that character movements stay at one speed; this could have been made better if characters can run or something.
Graphics: Visually, the game is not utilizing all it can from the XBox. However, with 24 possible players on Live, I can understand why the graphics may be toned down to help save bandwidth. The game overall really fun to play and if you're really into a mission, you'll hardly notice it.
Audio: The sounds in this game are what makes the game feel like authentic Star Wars battles. Every now and then the background music would start but for the most part, the sounds are really good and they match the game play nicely. When playing Live, you'll barely notice the game voices over your teammates' voices.
Suggestions: It was dissappointing to see that Live games could not be played split screen. It would have been nice to have included the option of allowing guests on Live games. I'm not sure if downloadable content will be available for this game but with Episode III coming out and surely another epic battle scene, it would be nice to be able to just download new levels instead of waiting to buy a new game. Good job developers, this is the best SW game yet! Also, THANK YOU for making it more than 16 players. Hopefully Bungie will do the same for Halo 2.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Hunter: The Reckoning Redeemer
Overall: The new Hunter improves a lot on some of the failed elements of the first game. Players who wishes to play through different games can keep the experience of their players and export them to other games. Overall, I had more fun with the newer one and even though the stages locks all the players to the same area on the screen, I feel that the stages in the new game are less likely to kill you based on its design. In the first game, a bunch of my friends would be killed due to people not going in the same direction at the same time.Gameplay: The game play is great. The game is really fun to play with friends but within a week of owning it, my friend has already beat the game three times. The bosses are easier to kill and the game isn't that long.
Graphics: Visually, the game improves mildly over the original. Then again, the original game wasn't terrible.
Audio: The sound in this game is decent. There really isn't that much to pay attention to since the sound doesn't play an important part in the game play.
Suggestions: Make the game longer, make the enemies harder to kill and maybe add a LOT more enemies to the screen at one time. Zombies (and warewolves) attack in hordes. I didn't feel like that happened in this game.
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10
Star Trek: Shattered Universe
Overall: Star Trek Shattered Universe has an interesting storyline. While the original series is not my favorite generation, all Star Trek games in general have some appeal to me. When I first bought the game, I thought I was going to be flying the capital ships but instead, the game makes you pilot small shuttle crafts and fight ships around the main ship. Overall I would only recommend this game as a rental. If you end up liking it, maybe it'll be worthy for you to purchase.Gameplay: The game plays like many Star Wars flyer fighting games. The flying physics are a bit weird but then again, this is space. While the shuttle crafts are a bit more interesting to look at in this alternate universe, I don't really remember Star Trek ever having shuttle fights around the main ship.
The missions are terrible. You start out with a set of goals but as the level progresses, new enemy ships fly into the area and new objectives are defined. This results in some of the longest, boringest, and impossible missions on XBox history. I can understand if this was REAL that unexpected situations may come about during missions, but consistent interruptions makes the overall gaming experience boring. Some of the missions are over 30 minutes long! Com'on, this isn't a show! Also, after killing about sixty fighters and thinking the level will end, the last thing you want is some captial ship flying in destroying your main ship so you'd have to repeat killing 60 small fighters.
The controls for this game are pretty easy to get used to but overall this game is a downer.
Graphics: Visually the game is pretty nice. The ships are great and the game offers a few different types of Federation ships for view during the game.
Audio: The voice overs by Sulu and Checkov makes the game fun, but unfortunately, that's about as much as I pay attention to the sounds in the game.
Suggestions: Add some interesting twists to the mission, let us fly the big ships instead of the small ones. Shuttles in Star Trek: The Show are not the main attractions. They shouldn't be in video games either.
Overall Score: 5.0 / 10
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
Overall: Out of all the Mortal Kombat games, this game probably looks the best out of all of them. The gameplay is great though it feels like they stripped a lot of tricks out of the game. The MK series has definitely matured over the years.Gameplay: The option to move around and dodge attacks is definitely a bonus compared to the old MK days. However the story mode on this kind of sucks. (Compared with Soul Calibur II's story mode.) The fatality moves are easier to do now, but they really should have more. One for each character is not really enough. This was really the best part of the older games cause only the biggest fans in the old days could execute the good finishing moves.
Graphics: Visually, this game looks great. Compared to the older games, this game really has an edge over the originals. Unfortunately, the characters also look really fake compared with the originals. I guess you win some and you lose some with changing the game play.
Audio: The sounds in this game are pretty good. Nothing special about them makes me want to jump for joy for the review though.
Suggestions: More characters, more finishing moves, more interaction with the stages. Instead of playing catch-up with the other games, start-a-new and be the leader innovation again.
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10
Brute Force
Overall: This game could have been a lot better. I was definitely deceived from the hype. Everyone said this would be a good hold over game in between the two Halo's but it really isn't. I felt the game didn't really have a purpose and the game play just wasn't that great. Everything seemed fake from the visuals to the sounds to the feedback from the controllers. I felt ripped off after buying this game which was the only reason I played for more than 4 hours. I actually wanted to kill everything on the maps so I could feel better about the purchase. It failed. This game also failed to keep my attention for more than a day so now it's gone.
Gameplay: Compared to Halo and many other first person shooters, the game play in this game feels fake. The sounds of the gun and the reactions in the controllers just are not up to par when compared with Halo. The four player option is cool, but for some reason it's not that fun. In heavy battle scenes the screens gets cluttered and annoying to watch. The movies in between the stages are great, but that shouldn't be the highlight of a game.
Graphics: Visually, the movies in between the levels are great. There is definitely a PC feel to it. (Like watching the old Wing Commander movies.) During game play, the graphics are not all that impressive. The characters look like walking logs and the guns and aim look like walking logs.
Audio: There really isn't much to discuss here. I didn't really pay attention to this game's sounds though I'm sure the gunfire sounds helped the fakeness of how evertyhing seemed.
Suggestions: Hire someone from Bungee or at least play their game to see what a real FPS should feel like. Also, create a story that we would care about. Freeing lizards or whatever so they can join your team is not really an incentive to play.
Overall Score: 3.0 / 10
Spider-Man
Overall: Wow, I didn't think I would love another game as much as Halo, but here it is! This seriously is an awesome game and the extra enemies set apart from the movies is great! If only the batman game was this good. Actually, I never played that one so I can't really comment...Gameplay: Gameplay is awesome. The game makers really have outdone themselves this time in capturing the essence of Spidey. The camera angles makes the controls hard sometimes, but despite that lil flaw, the game is still very fun. I like the fact the game is beatable. Instead of it being impossible.
Graphics: I can't complain. Visually the graphics are stunning! The buildings are beautiful and the characters are great. It'd be cool if Peter can stand normally when he's not in his spidersuit. (In the training) Otherwise, it's all good. Fighting Macho Man in the game woulda been cool, but whatever...
Audio: Sound is cool. I'm sure the sound clips repeating, but I haven't really noticed. The game is simply too fun! Music is good too.
Suggestions: Although this game is based on the movie, the movie just sets a basis from the comic book. The game should really explore the events in the comic book to build a really deep game. However, no complaints yet. More enemies are definately good.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
Wreckless: The Yakuza Mission
Overall: The name Wreckless pretty much says it all. Although it should probably have been called WreckMORE. The game's graphics are top notch although I do question some of the vehicles that they have in this car. The game is easy to play but not so easy to master.Gameplay: Gaming is fun, but it also bores quick. In the couple of days that I have owned it, I've already managed to beat more than 50% of the missions. There has been some easter eggs that makes this game interesting, but unless more is revealed later, this game might collect dust pretty quick. I recommend renting it first since the lack of multiplayer makes the game somewhat pointless in terms of replay value. If you're like me when you rent games, you will probably want to get all that you can get for your $6. Yes, you can actually beat this game within the week.
Graphics: Visually the game is great. It's set in the arcade train of thought so some things were over looked (such as the ability to drive through telephone poles w/o damage to the poles or yourself.) The city scape is amazing and as far as I can tell, true to life. I've never been there though.
Audio: The sound is pretty clear and it's GREAT that this game is in English. The voices are clear and the music isn't too annoying.
Suggestions: The [X] has SOOOOOOO much potential. I'm surprised that online multiplayer is not a part of the equation with this or most of the games that have been developed. It's not a bad first try... however, although the developers developed with "arcade" in mind, there should have been something more. If you're just pulling a game directly from the arcade, you might as well leave it there and earn the 50 cents per play.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
WWF Raw
Overall: I like/love the WWF. Enough that I tried out for Tough Enough 2 and got the call back! Anyway, I have been waiting for this game for awhile now and unfortunately after having satisifaction of owning it, that's about as much fun as I've had with this game. The game started off great with the REAL RAW opening. However, the game play is a little lacking.Gameplay: The game play is slow... very VERY slow. Characters although visually appealing, walks kinda awkward and well... slow. It takes too long to pin, to execute moves, to kick outm to get up, etc... You can notice it especially in Rikashi. Granted, the man is fat, but it doesn't make him a giant paper weight. Com'on! Also, the game lacks referees so you can't throw them around. It lacks blood, different arenas to fight in, a bunch of stuff really. I'm not sure if you can change camera angles, but it would be helpful at times.
Graphics: Visually, the characters looks good. Unfortunately, they did not do all the research to make it great. Triple H looks NOTHING like Triple H. Since he's my favorite wrestler, I also noticed some mistakes in his intro. For example, he still holds the water bottle while going up on the ring and spitting. (Usually he chucks it right before he gets up on the ring.) One EXTREMELY COOL feature to note is that in the museum / wrestler bio section of the game, you can see the tron videos in their entirety. However, within the game itself, it was kind of annoying if the character had pyro in their entrance, the screen would have a gray haze to it. While it's realistic, I thought my brightness was set too high on the TV or something. Some change of costumes would have been good. (Like DOA3) Also, a practice mode like DOA3 would have been great to do the special moves.
Audio: The sound is average. Wrestlers grunt when hit, but the background music is annoying. Also there is no commentary which... takes away from the experience. No custom music also takes away from the CAW mode. Lillian's intro are true to life though.
Suggestions: Everything that real fans expect should be in there. Take a simple survey and you'll easily find out what would please a wrestling fan. Things to add could be: blood mode, backstage, crowds, camera angle change, a REAL button to kick out of pins... (this is the first game on the XBox that actually makes my hand cramp from playing it. Mainly it's from me trying to figure out how to kick out of pins.) Steel cage matches, better tag team options (controlling both characters if you're only one player), change of costumes, updated roster, better face mapping for Triple-H, more easter eggs, a walk through/practice mode for special moves, more faces/costumes for CAW mode, different entrances. (I find it weird for Raven to come in with a shopping cart in King of the Ring mode. Some better physics... Molly Holly did a body slam on Rikashi when I played. She would have snapped in half in real life. I dunno, it may be just me but an extra 2 months of waiting should have delivered a little more. This one may not sit in my library for too long.
Overall Score: 5.0 / 10
NHL 2002
Overall: I loved old school Blades of Steel so I wanted to try this hockey game. The graphics have definately improved over the years but it's the game play that we're concentrating here. At first play, this game was fun. It finished pretty quick, but it was still fun.Gameplay: Gameplay was easy to understand. After a few misfires, I managed to control the team pretty well. The first game had tutorials along the way, which is always a good thing.
Graphics: Compared with NFL Fever, I think the visuals can use some work. The camera angle doesn't change too much and the faces on the audiences are pretty simple. They could have done more with the attention to the hockey puck. Sometimes it was hard to tell where it is. Graphics was good, but not amazing.
Audio: Sound wise, it's pretty simple. I can't say that I've watched a hockey game so it's hard to compare how real it is. The correct sounds are all there, but I'm not sure if it "makes" you feel like you're there. Maybe a 5.1 surround would change it, I'm not sure...
Suggestions: Fighting sucks and it can definately be improved upon. If it's realism we're aiming for here then more should be done with it. Unlocking fantasy teams like NFL FEVER may be cool too.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
NFL Fever 2002
Overall: I have always loved football games from Tecmo Super Bowl to Gameday and now, FEVER. The amount of options on this game is insane and my friends were instantly getting the "fever" after coming over and playing this game with me.Gameplay: Gameplay, the controllers does it justice. There are a lot of options that are perfectly laid out on the controllers. Unlocking fantasy teams has also been a new favorite activity of mine. Although some passes seem slow (lobbing the ball instead of gunning it,) the game still plays well.
Graphics: Visually the game is amazing. I have not yet had a chance to compare this game with the other 12 football titles that the XBox launched with. However, seeing how most MS launch titles are on the top of the XBox must have lists, I'm pretty sure this is THE ONE compared to the others.
Audio: The sound is great and it doesn't repeat too much. I guess this is one area in the game that developers can fully expand on. However, they did an okay job here. They could have also used some other music. The default one is kinda lame.
Suggestions: Fantasy robot team... Pinning people against robots. That'd be interesting.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Overall: Not having played any of the previous Oddworld games, this title didn't look so hot to me. The characters were weird and I didn't really understand the plot. I basically bought this game because everyone said it was great. However, after owning it, I changed my mind. The whole story was explained in a intro movie and by the end, I was eager to help out Abe and Munch in their quest for freedom. Go figure.Gameplay: The game play is simple to understand. Although the characters move too fast at times, at other times, you'd wish they were slower. Heh, however, the overall fun factor is definately there. If you're ever bored in the game, hold down the X button while you are Abe.
Graphics: Visually the game is amazing. It is definately one of those titles that use what it can from the XBox technology. No complaints here and it definately ranks up there with DOA3.
Audio: The sounds and music is cool although multiple voices when Abe has followers can be a little bit annoying.
Suggestions: Definately continue this title to other oddysee's.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Project Gotham Racing
Overall: I've always liked exotic cars and if I continue to play and buy games like I do, I'd probably never drive one in real life. But this game definately appealed to me just because of its contents.Gameplay: Game play, this game is pretty easy to figure out. Gas, brakes, etc... The courses are somewhat windy and narrow and it doesn't really show off the 0-60 acceleration power on some of these cars. I haven't played the beetle vs the F50 on the multiplayer yet so I could be wrong. The game also lacks some "views" that it could have included. (Take notes from the NASCAR HEAT game.) The inside the car view, rear view mirrors, etc... Also, for the replay feature, they should have forward and rewind.
Graphics: Visually, the game is amazing. There really isn't much more to say. The screenshots speak for themselves.
Audio: The sound is good, the music is great for the replay feature. There really is nothing to complain about here.
Suggestions: It's a great game but lots can be improved upon. Crash cars until they are completely destroyed and smoking, more choices of driver views, ability to turn up the music during game play, manual for multiplayer, adding cars such as Saleen Mustangs, the McLaren F1, the Honda Civic (just so I can crash into it constantly...), some BMW's (M5) maybe..., wider tracks, other cities, other race options, add Taco Bell somewhere? (They're in every other game...)
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Dead or Alive 3
Overall: I love fighting games... The last game I liked was Soul Caliber and the one before that Mortal Kombat II. I thought this game would be really cool since it was talked about so much. I picked it up and it was pretty fun. Great graphics.Gameplay: The game is fun to play and the combos are pretty easy to do if you just hit buttons. However, the game is pretty shallow and the boss is way to easy to beat.
Graphics: Visually, this game is amazing. The stages are very detailed and I like the fact how the background sometimes interacts with the fighting.
Audio: The music is okay... kinda midi-ish. I don't see why these games still speak Japanese as if it'd make the game better or something. Just speaking English would be fine if nor better.
Suggestions: I heard online gaming... but we'll see how that plays. If you can't change your costume or anything, you really can't distinguish yourself from other people on the net play. Anyway, this will sit on my shelves for now unless I'm bored. That or until the new Bruce Lee game comes out.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2x
Overall: I really didn't know what to think of this game at first being that I don't skateboard. However, I did liked Amped when I rented it and there wasn't much else in the store for me to choose at. Like Amped, the moves take a bit to get used to, however, it gets to be pretty cool afterwards. Gameplay: The game is pretty cool to play and even harder to master. For someone like me who isn't a die hard gamer, I found it cool that I can pass levels without too much stress. However, leaving a game is kinda hard. There are like hundreds of confirmation screens of "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO QUIT?!" It's kinda annoying.
Graphics: Visually, I don't know how much better it is than the ones before. I saw the PlayStation version and this really did not look all too different from it.
Audio: The option of playing your own music is great. This is definately one of the best upgrades of the game.
Suggestions: I guess all the upgrades are coming to the next game. It would have been cool if we just started with that though seeing how this is a new system and the programmers have been planning for it. I really don't see why the [X] needs so many clones of the same theme of games. How about we try different genres of games? Anyway, I'm getting off topic.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Halo: Combat Evolved
Overall: I was never a fan of FPS games on the PC cause of the controls and how they frustrated me. (Especially since I never bought a joystick.) However, this one I loved. I think one of the key things about this game was its co-op ability. No longer will I have to watch my geeky friend play but I can back him up in the game.Gameplay: The game is really fun. Once you learn the controls (which are perfectly placed for the game) it really feels like second nature in the game. However, I think it would have been cool to control more vehicles and/or large robotic suits like the one in the Aliens 2 movie. The game is really challenging for one player I think but it was fun and easily beaten for two players. More games should contain the co-op feature. Maybe even 4 player co-ops.
Graphics: Visually, the game is amazing but I'm sure all of you already know that. The effects are cool but I think it'd be cool to have a side game called Halo Racer or something where you can race around the ring of Halo in different environments. (Kinda like that new global race show.) Er.. I think I'm detracting from the review.
Audio: The sounds are great and the aliens are funny. There really isn't too much else to say about it, other than the music comes in at the perfect time to pump you up for the game. It's like a horror sci-fi movie. In a way, it is.
Suggestions: The game was a little bit easy to beat, especially in co-op. I would still love to have a four player co-op option. Otherwise, Halo 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 definately.... I mean, we REALLY should put the Floods in their place.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Nascar Heat 2002
Overall: I wanted a four+ player racing game and this is definately one of em. The graphics on this thing was cool although what originally got me hooked was the demo in the store that played "Sweet Home Alabama." Unfortunally, that was NOT in the real game. Nuts...Gameplay: The game is cool if you like NASCAR. I do and it's actually pretty cool to play, however, after a lil bit, especially if you have all the flags turned on, it gets a little bit annoying. The makers should have made an option to skip the yellow flags waiting. *Unless you want to pit your car. I find myself sitting there for unknown amounts of minutes waiting in the beginning, then I leave and I'm not sure when to come back from when the game restarts... The game play also gets old pretty quick for me. I find myself doing three lap demolition derbys nowadays seeing how many cars I can destroy on the track or forcing other cars to go into the pit when I'm racing. I guess I should wait for WREAKLESS.
I also was going to do a serious season with my season... but no track two, my car blew a tire right after the return of the yellow flag status and I pretty much messed up the season. That was random and uncalled for. =P
Graphics: Visually the graphics are cool... Everything seems to be in order and I like the replay feature. It feels like the real thing.
Audio: Am I wrong or is there no music? There isn't too much sound effects to this game that I have noticed, but it was good I'm sure.
Suggestions: I guess the multiplayer will be better whenever it comes. In the meantime, it'll sit on the shelves for me for now.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Arctic Thunder
Overall: I thought this would be a fun party game since part of the reason I got the XBox was b/c of the many selections of 4+ player games available and I liked Mario Kart and Fuzion Frenzy. The game plays a lot like Mario Kart however there are no cartoon art and laps. I guess it's the [X] adult version of that game.Gameplay: The game ends as soon as it begins. The reviews weren't kidding about its breakneck speed. There are many exaggerated high jumps however it doesn't seem like you can fall out of the race track. I've tried to drive through and take short cuts but it seems there are walls around the track that you can't break through. You get to hurt you enemies and get power ups like Mario Kart, however, if you end up destroying someone's snowmobile, the computer will bring them back to life somewhere ahead of you, which defeats the purpose... =P The game seems really easy to finish, but I haven't tried the career mode or whatever to see if I can truely get first place. However, it doesn't seem complicated, especially if you can't fall off of the track.
Graphics: Visually, the game produces an acid trip effect... Since you are blowing through the game at killer speeds and picking up power ups, you don't really see where you're going. It seriously is like going at warp speeds which is... kinda cool if you want to finish the game in about 5 seconds. However, I have seen parts of the map that were broken up during the race. Also, the weapons we get are kinda weird and I'm not sure if they even hit their target.
Audio: Besides for some moans and growns and some snowmobile voices, I didn't hear much of anything else that excited me. It's decent.
Suggestions: More creativity and longer tracks maybe? It's such an easy to play game...
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding
Overall: I barely like skateboarding and I've never gone skiing or on the hills, but for some reason this game appealed to me. I must say the game is awesome, it hurts my thumbs sometimes but it's cool.Gameplay: The menu seems to get stuck a lil bit. I'm not exactly sure why... however, the game is pretty cool, after you take the initial hour to get the controls down, things become pretty easy to play. I still fall down more than usual going down the hill, but it's still fun.
Graphics: Visually the game is awesome, however, the menu is sometimes hard to read and it gets stuck a lil bit.
Audio: The songs are cool, and it's cool that you can skip songs. The random commentaries can get annoying if you fall as much as I do.
Suggestions: Make the text a bit easier to read and fix the menu getting stuck thing. There should be no reason that the menu should take a second longer to respond. (The buttons seem to get stuck sometimes too.)
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Fuzion Frenzy
Overall: I liked the over all game when I saw it in the ads and the stores. I checked out the demo in Circuit City and was pleased with it.Gameplay: The mini games are fun, but after hosting an [X] party and playing a few rounds, we realized that most of the similar games repeat. The game itself has a lot of mini games, however most of the ones we rotated through had to do with putting orbs into circles. (Which ended up being our least favorite.) The makers should do a better randomizing routine. I know there are levels in the game that we haven't even tried yet!
Graphics: The graphics are amazing but I don't really pay attention to the small things when I'm trying to win against my friends. If you're an onlooker you may notice though.
Audio: The sounds are cool however the song repeats. I haven't tried the music burning feature yet but I might soon.
Suggestions: The game should have a more diverse mini game selection. It would also be cool to get more characters like alien robots or something. I mean, this game IS based in the future... Okay, so no alien robots, just robots then.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
