Every week on Inside Xbox, Nelson & Natalie recommend a game for you to Pick Up & Play!
Download new episodes every Monday on Inside Xbox!
Recent Reviews
Review: Operation Darkness
Operation Darkness is a fantastical romp through the good old days of the final few years of WWII. The developers at Atlus studios decided to build a turn based RPG around something everyone can love, killing Nazis. If that weren't awesome enough you also get to... - Read the full review
Operation Darkness is a fantastical romp through the good old days of the final few years of WWII. The developers at Atlus studios decided to build a turn based RPG around something everyone can love, killing Nazis. If that weren't awesome enough you also get to kill Nazis with bazookas! There's more, but I won't spoil it for you other than to say there is certainly some fantasy in this role playing game.
OK, I don't know about you but I can't imagine how a game like that would NOT be super. I mean, the Japanese version is made by people who are so confident they named the company Success!
Come, join me as we explore the nooks and crannies of Operation Darkness for the 360.
Go on, hit the jump already, there'll be anime babes with guns, I promise.
If the title for most charismatic video game villain who just absolutely refuses to die were up for grabs, Kane would definitely be in the running. This smarmy jerk has been defeated by the GDI a gajillion times in Sarajevo, and he keeps on coming back, all the smarmier. Some people really like Kane’s endless assault against the planet; he’s definitely the definitive character from Command & Conquer. So, it’s no surprise that the first expansion to the revitalized C&C franchise would center around our immortal prophet and his shiny, shiny dome.
The expansion has been out for a while, to various fanfare, but it’s now shlumped onto the Xbox 360. It’s a free-standing sequel, which delivers on expanded multiplayer-friendly gameplay and improvements to the already impressive interface, but feels a bit short in the knees when it comes to story and accessibility.
Let’s see what else they have to offer, after the jump.
While the story of Bungie's 2001 blockbuster Halo started on the Pillar of Autumn and the ring world of Halo, the background of Master Chief and the human-Covenant conflict wasn't so clear. Who was this super-human soldier? Why was he so important in the battle against the Covenant? For that matter, why were the humans fighting against the Covenant, and why was there a super-human soldier capable of so much destruction in the first place?
To give fans of Halo something extra to munch on, there was an official prequel to Halo - a novel called "The Fall of Reach", written by Eric Nylund. Courtesy of Tantor and narrator Todd McLaren, you can now experience the prequel to Halo and answer those questions in an all-new way: an unabridged audiobook.
I will freely admit that I am 'hooked' on Discovery Channel's 'Deadliest Catch' reality show. Ok, now that we're all done laughing at my witty pun we can get on with the review. If you're not acquainted with this riveting television drama I will summarize. Most of that fresh crab you put onto your salad and make into tasty cakes comes from off the coast of Alaska. The Bering Sea, to be specific and if you only watch the television show it seems like all of it is caught by just the 5 guys they follow.
Well, one of the captains and his brother seem to be more popular than the others. Sig and Edgar Hansen run the "Northwestern" crab boat. The pair also have another crabbing brother and have fishing roots that go back generations. They know all there is and apparently want to pass their wisdom onto you.
The game promises 40 foot seas, crushing ice, and the enjoyment of virtual injury and death. Has 'Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm' captured the intensity and drama of the reality show or does she simply capsize and sink into the watery abyss of games people shouldn't play.
Battlefield was always well-known for tearing up the online multiplayer warzone. Still, in all of its best efforts, there was never a robust single-player experience. Today, with games like Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 being just as popular for their single-player campaign as their multiplayer counterpart, there isn't as much room for a one-trick horse. This time, EA and DICE needed to innovate the battle on both fronts.
I won't lie: there were moments throughout Bad Company where I thought, "Huh, I've done this before in ____." In that space, you could fit anything from Brothers in Arms and Wolfenstein to Halo and Red Faction. Still, this is a unique game that just lets the player go out into a big battlefield and wreak havoc in explosive new ways. Thanks to the new Frostbite engine's destructible environments, any conflict can get very interesting. I'll be damned if there is anything wrong with that.
So, if Bad Company can run with a single-player experience on its back, can it also hold up as multiplayer game and finish the package? Where are the snags? Read on, soldier, things get a little crazy here in Bad Company.
Raise your hand if you remember the original Commando. It’s OK, folks. I wasn’t even alive when this arcade classic launched back in 1985. But now, thanks to Backbone Entertainment, we have the opportunity to play the latest installment in this venerated series, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3. That’s right, the same Backbone Entertainment that’s currently working on the mouthful title, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix.
Sadly, Wolf of the Battlefield doesn’t stand out amongst its peers like Street Fighter. The game itself is actually pretty fun. But unfortunately, that fun only lasts for about thirty minutes. Unless you’re looking for a repetitive, quick gaming experience, you may want to steer clear of this one.
Let’s be honest with ourselves: frantic, fast action is always entertaining. But when that action is coupled with an uninspired story, an overused art style, and sketchy online play, it makes for a very lackluster affair. However, if you’re a fan of arcade shooters, none of that will matter, as you’ll feel right at home here.
Hit the jump for the details. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.
Why hasn't Don King been featured in a video game until now? I mean, he looks and acts like an unreal character so, it seems a perfect fit to me.
Don King is one of those people whom everyone knows but no one I know can really say what it is that he does. He's not a fighter, he's not a trainer, and the term 'Promoter' seems vague to me. Football players, for example have Agents and play in leagues which promote themselves.
Golfers compete individually like boxers but I'm pretty sure Tiger and Phil don't have 'Promoters'. Anyway, the irony with respect to Mr. King is that no matter who he's promoting you always know that it's HIM who's promoting said boxer.
Quick, who's the heavyweight champion right now? Middle-weight? Light-weight? Ok, can you name a currently contending boxer? Yeah, I really can't either. So, I suppose that it's no real shock that Venom Games and 2K sports decided to skip the cover athlete and instead go with the real celebrity of boxing, Don King himself.
Few video games have had the mass appeal that Halo has since it was released in 2001. Then again, few games have taken their genre by storm, reinventing it and bringing it to the masses like Halo did. The game may have been great to play, but its story was something else of interest - not typical for a first-person shooter.
Microsoft and Bungie supported their mega-hit with novels, providing a lot of background information for die-hard fans of the Halo universe. The first novel, "The Fall of Reach", written by Eric Nylund, was a prequel to the video game Halo. The second one, "The Flood", was written by a different author, William C. Dietz. It was an adaptation of the first Halo, and the difference in Dietz's style and Nylund's makes the two novels very diverse. The third novel, "First Strike", was once again handled by Nylund.
These three novels have recently been turned into audiobooks, courtesy of narrator Todd McLaren and Tantor Unabridged Audiobooks. Because I had never listened to an audiobook before, I decided to tread familiar territory first - I listened to Dietz's adaptation of Halo, "The Flood", just because I was more familiar with the story. Even knowing the Halo story very well, it was an interesting experience, and one that I recommend to any hardcore Halo fan that hasn't already read the book.
Multiplayer-only games have been a fairly common occurrence ever since Counterstrike started stealing the hours of so many college students some time in the late 90's. Some of these attempts have sparkled, while most have languished in obscurity due to the fun factor not outbalancing having to hang out with hyper 13-year-olds.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars once again trots down this path, requiring you to either spend your time rubbing elbows with bossy teenagers or cheating robots in small, squad-based skirmishes to complete or prevent a given objective. It's makes a good showing, but a few design flaws hamper the fun a bit.
I have a love/hate relationship with Lego Indiana Jones.
On the one hand, it's hard to knock a game that actually does justice to some of the worst parts of Temple of Doom. For that alone, the game deserves kudos. I mean, we're talking about a game that can make a person want to play as Willie Scott, and turn one of the most annoying bits about her into one of the most fun abilities in the game. That, right there, is a genius bit of accomplishment.
But then again, it's hard to universally love a game that stumbles over its own two feet. There are features missing from the game, it's lacking in content, and the poorly designed levels and challenges make this game a little less appealing than its Star Wars brother. With a franchise as highly regarded as Indiana Jones, anything less than awesome is a bit of a let down.
Hit the jump, only watch your step. This review can get a little rough.
It's a pretty good idea, I have to admit.Writing a story about a guy who wakes up an amnesiac and slowly discovers he has all these amazing abilities taps into the male ego nicely.I've had days where I would love to wake up the next morning and discover that I can access secret Swiss bank accounts and that my kung-fu is better than yours.
I've enjoyed the film versions of the Bourne novels.Matt Damon, though still far better looking than you or I, is just ‘regular guy' looking enough that he seems believable as a super secret assassin who blends into crowds after stuffing his pistol into a trash can.I haven't read the Robert Ludlum books, so I don't know how he's described there, but Jason Bourne looks pretty good in High Moon Studios, "The Bourne Conspiracy".
I'm not exactly sure why they didn't use Matt Damon's likeness (or Richard Chamberlain's for that matter) as I'm sure he's far more associated with what the character looks like.That's ok though, as the game does not try to recreate the movies.The major story plots seem to be the same but this isn't exactly a ‘Movie' video game.
I'm perched on a rooftop a mile away watching you read this right now so you better hit the jump and read the rest.
Okay, class. Ready for a pop quiz? What do you get when you add Spaceball’s satire, Men In Black’s wacky aliens, and Wing Commander’s gameplay? Give up? The answer is Aces of the Galaxy, Sierra Entertainment’s latest foray into the Xbox Live Arcade universe.
XBLA has seen its share of arcade-style games over the past four years. But, you’d be hard-pressed to find game as pretty and clean as Aces of the Galaxy. Its stunning visuals and extremely fast-paced action provide a gaming experience that hasn’t been produced since the days of cabinet machines and dark arcade rooms.
If you’re a fan of arcade rail shooters, you may be on the verge of stepping into heaven, and you’ll soon find yourself spending hours attempting to raise your high score. If you’re not into increasing your bragging rights and drooling over the Xbox Live leaderboards, you may be in a bit of trouble, as there’s not much replay value for gamers who are unwilling to grind it out.
The aliens are after us, so we need to hurry. Hit the jump, and let’s get going.
Review: Operation Darkness
Operation Darkness is a fantastical romp through the good old days of the final few years of WWII. The developers at Atlus studios decided to build a turn based RPG around something everyone can love, killing Nazis. If that weren't awesome enough you also get to... - Read the full review
While the story of Bungie's 2001 blockbuster Halo started on the Pillar of Autumn and the ring world of Halo, the background of Master Chief and the human-Covenant conflict wasn't so clear. Who was this super-human soldier? Why was he so important in the battle against the Covenant? For that matter, why were the humans fighting against the Covenant, and why was there a super-human soldier capable of so much destruction in the first place?
Battlefield was always well-known for tearing up the online multiplayer warzone. Still, in all of its best efforts, there was never a robust single-player experience. Today, with games like Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 being just as popular for their single-player campaign as their multiplayer counterpart, there isn't as much room for a one-trick horse. This time, EA and DICE needed to innovate the battle on both fronts.
Why hasn't Don King been featured in a video game until now? I mean, he looks and acts like an unreal character so, it seems a perfect fit to me.
Few video games have had the mass appeal that Halo has since it was released in 2001. Then again, few games have taken their genre by storm, reinventing it and bringing it to the masses like Halo did. The game may have been great to play, but its story was something else of interest - not typical for a first-person shooter.
I have a love/hate relationship with Lego Indiana Jones.
