Well this has been a rollercoaster ride of a season 360 gamers I suspect, with the release of some major games that we have been waiting for and the fact that my wallet now hates me I will through some major releases so I can get some things off my chest.

Fallout 3-

This game had me sold when I first saw the teaser a long time ago, now that the game is out and I have beaten it once I can honestly say that this is the game I wanted to see...it has it's little fumbles but they pale in comparison to the level of detail and humor that this game maintain all the way through.

Fable 2-

This game suprised me, I went in expecting a kinda jarring adjustment back to the cutesy world of albion and was greeted by a harsher and more gritty game that still maintains that story book quality and fun. The game is everything I wanted from the first one but it is still to damn short!

Gears of war 2-

I liked the first one but I got bored quick without any real narrative to latch on to, this game has a decent story and moves at a better pace than the original...I still fear that multiplay will be kinda crummy but I can't pass jugments yet...overall I hope that epic can keep up the momentum and make a even better game than this...that would be something to see.

This has been a tough year on our wallets but I think that most of the big releases were really worth the wait and I hope that we see a even better run of games next year.

The new xbox experience thing is really starting to grow on me, I am glad that they game the menu's a little bit of personality and added some really needed functions that make the whole system feel more usefull.

On another note...the new Star Trek trailer is really worth a watch...download it on the dashboard and see what I mean.

Till next time

Mike

This holiday season has yielded some very good titles for the 360 and really is the last run of games that we have really been waiting for (2008 will be insane also). When I fire up my 360, you can bet that mass effect is going to be in the tray for a while to come.

Mass Effect is a strange game in that it is a all new intellectual property and also very familier at the same time, anyone who has played the Knights of the old republic series will really enjoy the nods to the story and gameplay elements of those two games and still get a fresh feeling due to the new coat of paint and a all new back story.

This game does one thing that is seldom done in games anymore...it gives you a backstory, not just a flimsy little crap one either, it gives you a whole wealth of information that really adds to the overall experience and lets you really dive into the characters...and somehow it comes out a little more interesting than Star Wars in terms of plot.

I know that some may whine that it is to much like the KOTOR series but I say that they changed enough to make it a fresh game and left the working bits in when needed. There is no need to fix something that is not broken and I hope they never do.

If you do not own this game or it is not on your list to Santa...you need to make it so now!

Mike

After all the pre release hype and crazed fanboy rantings I had swore that I would not buy Halo 3 and would ignore it outright.

Well after all the midnight sale hype I felt I should give this game a go just to see if I was wrong. So I took a drive over to the local EB games and picked up one of the normal editions of the game and took it home, I was ready to start laughing at the crappy story and ham handed dialogue. but when I turned on the 360 and popped the game it I noticed one thing almost five minutes into play.

I was wrong...I was very wrong.

Now I am not saying that Halo 2 was amazing nor am I saying that this game is "Teh best evar!" but I am saying that it is a great game and I played it all the way through on easy in one sitting...I was entertained pretty well throughout the whole time.

After the single player was done I put on the multiplayer and after a few rough starts on maps I was not ready for I found a game that I finished in the lead with...this is a fun game and the first one I have ever played in a ranked mode. The weapons feel balanced and usefull...even the needler! I love the armor customization and the depth that brings about...having a "spartan desigination" is pretty cool also.

So now all that is left really for me is to beat the game on the rest of the difficulties alone and play the crap out of the multiplayer...and I am sure I will enjoy it non the less!

Halo is not the best franchise ever...it never will be, but I think this game goes a long way in clearing bungies name after the Halo 2 debacle.

Oh yeah...I love the new rides!

Mike