The Lost Odyssey

Being the second offering from Mistwalker, the development house founded by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Lost Odyssey has a lot riding on it. The first title from the developer, Blue Dragon, offered some pretty high-caliber production values, including art design by Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama and a score by Nobuo Uematsu (who also worked previously on Final Fantasy titles), but failed to be a huge hit with many North American critics who felt that its traditional gameplay didn’t stand up against more modern RPG fare. For the most part Lost Odyssey is just as traditional as Blue Dragon, and feels quite old-school against other Xbox 360 RPGs like Eternal Sonata.

However, while the gameplay is decidedly old school, the production values are where Lost Odyssey really shines. The art direction and story elements are fantastic, showcasing a tremendous amount of polish. Lost Odyssey is a great-looking game that can be quite fun, save for a few glaring flaws.

Lost Odyssey focuses on Kaim, an immortal mercenary who has seen basically every facet of human emotion over the thousand years that he has been alive. However, his immortality comes with a price, namely amnesia. As Kaim progresses throughout the game, he’ll meet other people, both mortals and other immortals, and slowly regain pieces of his memory. You can regain bits and pieces of your life through dreams, which are written anecdotes, set to music. While some of these are hit and miss, they are well written for the most part and are pretty interesting reads.

From the get-go, Lost Odyssey wears its traditional trappings on its sleeve. The combat system uses a simple turn-based model that won’t feel unfamiliar to RPG gamers. Once you start to get into the game, you’ll discover that the game has an very old-school approach to progression, meaning that level grinding and accessory mastering are key to surviving the game’s larger boss battles. Additionally, the game is pretty tough compared to most recently released RPG games, so be prepared to get spanked often.

One of the things that Lost Odyssey does differently from most RPGs out there is the ring system. The ring system allows you to add a special bonus to your attacks, be it an elemental boost or an attack boost in certain kinds of enemies. In order to get the added effect, you have to hold down the right trigger and line two rings at the right moment, which can be tough to do at first. This is a great new element that can really help turn the course of a battle.

Another element that the game does is it allows you to “learn” abilities from other party members. Your immortal characters can skill link with the mortals in your group and by gain the use of their abilities one at a time. Also, your immortals have the ability to learn skills from accessories, which is a nice addition.

On the downside, the biggest problem that Lost Odyssey has is slow pacing. The game has some pretty lengthy loading times, and they happen quite frequently. Also, the lead up to fights seems to linger on a bit too long, breaking up the action and making the game feel somewhat sluggish.

Graphically, Lost Odyssey looks great, thanks to great character models and fantastic art direction. The game utilizes Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, allowing for a tremendous amount of detail and great lighting effects. The one downside with the graphics is the spotty framerate, which hiccups quite often and can bog down.

The music is great, courtesy of frequent Sakaguchi collaborator Nobuo Uematsu. The score is fantastic, and accentuates the mood nicely. The voice acting is well done for the most part, and aside from a few over-the-top performances, is pretty impressive for a Japanese RPG.

Lost Odyssey has some pacing issues, and some of the more traditional elements like grinding and a tough difficulty level might turn off more modern RPG gamers. However, the story is great and the art direction is excellent, making it well worth a look.

Review Scoring Details for Omega Five

Gameplay: 8.2

It's a dialed-in, responsive game that features power ups for the weapons, and additional health spread throughout the game. I like how massive baddies show up and try to do you in with weirdo, off-the-wall attacks; this is a fun game to play.

Graphics: 8.0

Again, the game has the spit and polish many full retail games don't have. The eye candy is really clear and clean looking; throw in some additional weather effects and the well-placed flying dragon and this is a game that has absolutely no sort of storyline, but sure looks pretty.

Sound: 6.0

The "bad" voice work, average looping music and underscored sound effects is a blight on a really well-developed game.

Difficulty: Medium

It is an average game as far as challenge goes.

Concept: 7.4

It may be one of the first game genres made, but the fancy graphics and all-out action coupled with some easy to get downloadable content, and the side-scrolling shooter is slick again.

Multiplayer: 6.0

A disappointment for those of you scoring at home, the game should have been made available for online multiplayer action and it simply was not.

Overall: 7.3

Like I said above, the game is pretty and nice to look at, but ultimately shallow (I added that part) and while a distraction for a week or so, the game is too short and not deep enough to qualify for obsessiveness to get on the Live leaderboard.

Review Scoring Details for Burnout: Paradise

Gameplay: 8.9

Paradise is certainly the most ambitious Burnout title yet, with a full sandbox city to explore and the great racing mechanics and smooth controls that has been the series’ bread and butter. While the lack of a restart option and the rough mini-map are annoyances, the game plays great overall and is a logical step for the series.

Graphics: 9.0

The graphics aren’t quite as dazzling as over next-gen titles, the game has a phenomenal sense of speed thanks to a smooth framerate. However, the most impressive element are the spectacular crashes, which look better than ever.

Sound: 9.5

The sound effects are fantastic, with some excellent crash sounds and a nice mixed soundtrack.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.0

Burnout: Paradise is a daring entry for the series, but it pays off with deep and exciting new elements.

Multiplayer: 9.0

Online play syncs very well into offline play, requiring a tap of the D-Pad and several friends to play against. Online matches are fully customizable as well, allowing you to set up the field however you see fit when you host.

Overall: 9.0

Burnout: Paradise is a great entry to the series, bringing it in a whole new direction while keeping what made the series so great to begin with. If you’re at all a fan of racing games, then definitely give this one a look.

Review Scoring Details For College Hoops 2K8

Gameplay: 8.3

There are some oddities, like a team that just hits a dry-spell for no apparent reason and can’t even make a simple lay-up, and there is a bit of a learning curve to fully appreciate the nuances of the game. The user interface can appear to be more painful than it actually is, but the game AI is very good.

Graphics: 8.4

From the courtside cameras, the game looks terrific. The players tend to lose something when seen up close, but the animations are solid.

Sound: 8.5

The ambience, from the crowd to the arena announcer, is there and the play-by-play is handled well by the trio of Verne Lundquist, Bill Rafferty and Tracy Wolfson.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.4

Some more attention could have been given to the ‘create’ modes, but the additions made to this year’s release are very solid.

Multiplayer: 8.2

Online tourneys will challenge those who have the thirst of strong competition.

Overall: 8.4

A very good game that should have fans of the college game excited. The 2K team has upped the ante when it comes to game mechanics and that makes College Hoops 2K8 an enjoyable and challenging experience.

Review Scoring Details for Kane & Lynch: Dead Men

Gameplay: 7.0

As a single-player experience, the game doesn't seem to have the right feel to make it worth going through solo. The shootouts and interesting scenarios are best played cooperatively with a friend and with enough guns the action does get delightfully intense. It's just too bad the ride is just way too short.

Graphics: 6.5

The game's dated graphics can be a bit disappointing to gamers expecting this game to take advantage of the Xbox 360's graphics capabilities but there are moments when the game does look good and certain backgrounds do stand out. Still, gamers won't be able to feel as though the character models could have looked better than what is featured here.

Sound: 8.5

Both Kane and Lynch sound the way you would expect two hardened and psychotic individuals to sound and the rest of the cast do a good job as well. There is a good soundtrack here but I do wish the sound effects were handled better.

Difficulty: Medium

The enemies you will encounter range from smart to really dumb and there are moments when you will be overwhelmed by the number of enemies on screen. There are some interesting challenges scattered throughout the game and enemy snipers do a great job of trying to force you out of your hiding place.

Concept: 7.0

Both Kane and Lynch aren't very interesting characters but their plight will not fail to entertain. There are some good scenarios here and a deeply involving online and offline multiplayer mode that will be the reason you will still be playing the game.

Multiplayer: 8.5

This game was certainly made for cooperative play so you will want to grab a friend and tackle the main story mode together. Sadly, co-op is restricted to offline play but the game makes up for this unfortunate blunder by making the Fragile Alliance online multiplayer mode loads of fun.

Overall: 7.0

Despite a few unforgettably stand-out moments and a deeply enjoyable multiplayer mode, Kane & Lynch is a crime caper that is not as great as it could have been on the Xbox 360. While the fast-paced and action-packed chapters have their share of spectacular moments, the game is held back by characters we do not really care about and dated gameplay that just doesn't feel like a next-generation game.

Review Scoring Details for Rock Band

Gameplay: 9.5

Truly groundbreaking in both premise and execution, Rock Band is as close as you can get to really being on stage. With unique gameplay mechanics for each instrument (vocals, guitar, bass, and drums), Rock Band offers up several different ways to play, but the real meat of the game comes from the four player co-op modes, particularly the co-op World Tour.

Graphics: 8.5

The game has a great presentation with clean menus, and a smooth framerate. The activity going on in the background is a step above what you see on Guitar Hero III, with cool effects and more animated crowds and venues.

Sound: 9.0

While the few cover versions throughout the tracklist sound a bit off, they are few and far between in Rock Band, as the game boasts an impressive number of original master recordings, which sound as good now as when they first hit the airwaves.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.5

Rock Band turns the genre on its head, offering a highly polished rhythm game that stands as the quintessential testament to all of the progress that the genre has made over the past few years and allowing you to rock as never before.

Multiplayer: 9.5

Allowing you rock out with 3 friends across several different instruments is a fantastic notion for the rhythm-game genre, and Rock Band carries it in brand new directions. There are even some competitive modes in the mix to let you duke it out with a friend. The only downer is the lack of an online multiplayer World Tour.

Overall: 9.3

Rock Band is the next step in the rhythm game genre and the party game genre, effectively melding the two into an innovative package. While the build quality of the bundled peripherals feels a little flimsy and the whole thing is a bit pricey for many gamers’ budgets, the game is a wholehearted recommendation for any fan of music-based games.

Virtua Fighter 5 Review

Gameplay: 9.2

Even on the Xbox 360, Virtua Fighter 5’s controls work beautifully and proving that the series remains to be the best fighting series in the next-generation of consoles as well. The 17 or so fighters have their own unique moves and mastering them all is not an easy task. The various game modes are a blast to play and online the game moves as swiftly as a roundhouse kick.

Graphics: 9.0
The gorgeous drool-worthy visuals will not fail to impress those gamers who appreciate good eye candy when they see it. With sharp character models that look great in action and dazzling environments simply do justice to the Xbox 360’s graphical capabilities.

Sound: 7.0

The game’s music is a sore spot that seems to bring back the cheesy heavy rock guitar riffs of past games and the bad voice acting is not only harmful to the ears but also annoyingly repetitive at times. There are some decent sound effects, though, but the optional play-by-play is just way too funny but not in an intentional way.

Difficulty: Medium

Quest Mode’s higher-ranking matches will provide quite a challenge fit for veteran Virtua Fighter fans as well as gamers new to the fighting series. Some fighters are more skilled than others and will put up quite a fight especially when it comes to ranked matches.

Concept: 9.0

No longer a PS3 only game, the Xbox 360 version gets online play with ranked matches. The single-player portion has plenty to offer including various unlockable options to edit each character and some juicy game modes fight fans will be playing for a long while.

Multiplayer: 9.0

Online, the game flows smoothly enough with very little lag and whether you pick to play a ranked or unranked match, you’ll find fellow gamers just waiting to take you on. I see this game becoming an online tournament favorite.

Overall: 9.0

Welcome to one of the best fighting games to grace the Xbox 360 so far and the reason you’ll be putting in a lot of hours on the fighting arena. Virtua Fighter 5 for the Xbox 360 delivers one of the best-looking and amazing fighting experiences you’ll get to play so buying this one is really a no-brainer. If you played this one on the PS3, the online component is a major plus but if you missed it on Sony’s console you’re going to love this game.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Review

Gameplay: 9.5

A completely intense thrill-ride from start to finish, Call of Duty 4 grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go.

Graphics: 9.5

Extremely realistic character models that move realistically with a dynamically changing environment and tons of excellent details. The framerate stays butter-smooth throughout.

Sound: 9.5

A sweeping orchestral score as we all now Harry Gregson-Williams is capable of pumping out, complete with some great voice work and incredible battlefield sound effects.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.5

Taking a shooter franchise in a new direction can be a gamble, but Infinity Ward has shown that it can pay off in spades. The story elements are new to the series, but quite compelling nonetheless.

Multiplayer: 9.5

Some of the most robust features ever in a multiplayer shooter, Call of Duty 4 boasts tons of game modes both old and new, as well as some excellent class creation elements and RPG-style character development.

Overall: 9.5

If you are at all a fan of shooters, then pick up Call of Duty 4 now.

Need for Speed ProStreet Preview

In a few weeks, gamers will be able to sink their teeth into the latest game from EA’s long-running Need for Speed franchise, Need for Speed: ProStreet. ProStreet represents a new direction for the racing series, forgoing the neon-glare and underground street-racing themes of prior games for a more performance based approach. GameZone got a hold of the latest build of the game and were able to take it for a test drive. So far, the game offers some great features, with accessible racing that will appeal to casual fans as well as hardcore gearheads.
The career mode unfolds though a series of race days, each with a different track and a series of different races each race day. There are standard races, checkpoint battles, grip races, and so on. Winning races will net you money to repair your cars inbetween races (as well as customize them or buy new ones when all is said and done), as well as give you a reputation and the ability to take on the four street kings.


The most interesting new race mode is the drag races. The drag races are purely based on speed and getting the fastest time from the starting line to the finish. This requires you to mainly focus on shifting at just the right time in order to gain the most speed and win the race. A large HUD with your RPMs will appear on the side of the screen, and you’ll have to hit the clutch at just the right time in order to keep from missing a shift. This new mode is an interesting departure from other modes in the game, and can be pretty involving at times.

The cars in ProStreet aren’t what you’d expect coming off of the heels of Need for Speed: Carbon. They aren’t really much to look at, with primer paintjobs composed of several different colors that don’t match and plain bodywork. However, these cars weren’t made to look pimped out, they were geared solely for performance and speed, making superfluous elements like paintjobs, decals, chrome, and carbon unnecessary.


That’s not to say that the cars do not look good, since they actually look pretty great. They boast tons of polygons for a photorealistic look, and take on realistic damage (which actually has an affect on how well your car handles). The coolest graphical element in the game is possibly the smoke effects. When you heat your tires before the drag races, the smoke will billow realistically around your tires, making for a great effect that looks and moves very nicely.

ProStreet is, thus far, a fun and deep entry to the successful franchise, offering a good mix of depth and accessibility. Look for a full review in the coming weeks.

The Simpsons Game Review

Gameplaywise, The Simpsons Game feels a lot like X-Men Legends. You’ll have between one or four characters (family members) in your control throughout, each with their own unique abilities and special powers. Homer, for example, can balloon up into a gigantic ball and crush enemies and objects, while Bart can transform into Bartman and use tools like a grappling hook to get up to high points and his cape to float down (or up in air drafts). Oftentimes, you’ll be required to use a certain character to proceed to a certain point and use team work in order to get your characters to defeat a boss.

One great element in the game will be the video game cliches. Much like the TV series will poke fun at pop culture and spoof films, the video game will point out glaring video game cliches as you do them. This works out to be a pretty interesting mini-game of sorts, as you’ll have to go through and do all the various things that you often wouldn’t get away with in video games, like swimming or running up to an invisible boundary set by the video game’s developer. There are tons of them out there to find, so keep in that video gaming mindset and you’re likely to stumble upon a few.

Graphically, the next-gen versions do a great job of capturing the essence of the show without really straining too hard and making a creepy 3D mess of things. The character models look good and are well animated, and the environments are fantastic and full of little nuances and in-jokes that series fans will undoubtedly enjoy and appreciate.

The Simpsons Game will be out at the end of the month. If you’d like to try it out for yourself, download the demo from Xbox Live or the Playstation Network.

Review Scoring For Ace Combat 6

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
Gameplay: 8.5
Ace Combat 6 offers arcade-style controls that feel very intuitive and easy for those not raised on complex flight-sims to get their hands on. The game has a great deal of intensity, with action-packed missions keeping you drawn in.

Graphics: 9.0
The plane models look amazing, and the effects are great. However, the environment has a few issues, as the closer you get to the ground the more it looks 2D and blurry, but generally the game looks great.

Sound: 7.5
The sound effects are pretty good throughout and the score works for the game, but the corny voice acting and lame dialogue bring down the score.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.0
The game provides great controls and accessible gameplay, even though the storyline is pretty nonsensical.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Ace Combat 6 has a great deal of online modes, including co-op, free-for-all, and siege.

Overall: 8.5
Ace Combat 6 is an accessible and exciting flight combat game with great arcade-style gameplay. While the story elements are pretty cheesy, the game itself is a lot of fun.

World Of Xbox : NBA 2K8 Review

Every year I dread the day new sports titles are released. The reason why is due to that my previous installments become obsolete and the trade-in prices drop significantly. Fortunately, I skipped out on purchasing last year’s NBA 2k title due to that a colleague of mine had already bought it and I determined, through playing it, that it wasn’t worthy of my hard earned money. So when NBA 2k8 arrived at my doorsteps, I was more than happy to invest time back in the series after removing myself from last year’s game.

What does NBA 2k8 offer that 2k7 didn’t? Well, let’s begin with the Association Mode – this alone has captured my attention more than any other game mode in a sports title this year. The Association Mode has a few new bells and whistles that will make hardcore simulation fans go nuts. How do I know? Because, being a simulation fan myself, I am addicted to developing my team to its fullest. The depth of the game mode has risen farther then I had imagined. New this year is ability to assign player roles. There are five roles that players can be given: starter, sixth man, role player, prospect, and a bench warmer. If a starter is underperforming and you downgrade him to a role player, his morale will drop affecting team chemistry and contract negotiations. With contract negotiations, the developers went further in adding in no-trade clauses. If these two additions aren’t attracting, then the possible fact that all the features return from last year such as: scouting, trading (3 team trades), scheduling practices, developing players, and a ton more. If you can’t tell, the association mode is among the best I have ever played for its simulation attributes.

No franchise mode would be good without great gameplay to back it up. The gameplay this year is principally similar to last year’s gameplay with tweaks and improvements. The new superstar moves should end up being the brightest spot for NBA fanatics. From NBA 2k7, gamers will remember that their favorite basketball stars had signature jump-shots – well, this year Visual Concepts have now added with superstar moves. Steve Nash will throw no-look passes, Shaq will slam it down in the paint, and even at times, Kobe will become a ball hog trying to win the game all by his lonesome. Outside of these animations, the control of the players on the court is smooth and fluid. Using the right stick, players have the chance to play better defense as I have been wishing for a long time.

For players that want full control of how the game plays out on the court, the chance to call up plays on fly is simple. Calling plays is a lot easier than I remember from last year’s iteration and I actually had fun watching my players running through their plays. Unfortunately, if I wasn’t telling my players what to do, then they were aimlessly hawking the three-point line waiting for something to happen. It isn’t the best scenario when I am trying to get open or try to find an open man after being double-teamed.

The bad news for the gameplay is that players miss layups like crazy. I had a friend stop over to give me some authentic competition and he left quite upset about his several missed layups that cost him the game. Using the shot stick helped remedy the situation somewhat, but missing wide open layups don’t sit right with my stomach. Another minor problem with NBA 2k8 this year is that the computer A.I. on your team aren’t up to par with the team you are up against. Besides these two problems with the gameplay, I have had a fantastic time with NBA 2k8.

Speaking about having a fantastic time, NBA 2k8 returns with an amazing dunk competition. Located through the NBA Blacktop section (3-point contest, street matches, etc.) the dunk competition is one of the most thorough dunking contests I have experienced in recent memory. There are three parts in dunking: gathering yourself (jumping), a style adjuster, and a finisher. The gather can begin with alley oops, jumping over props and a lot more interesting possible beginnings to a dunk. The style adjuster has the player doing 360 spins, going between the legs with the ball, and many other actions with the ball. The finisher is exactly as it sounds, dunking it down hard with even the chance to go elbow deep into the net as if you were Vince Carter.

The last portion of the gameplay deals with the online modes where players can enjoy a plethora of elements. Hardcore gamers can join online leagues where they can participate in fantasy drafts to pickup their favorite NBA players. The usual ranked and unranked matches are available to play, but the possibility to play through the dunk contest online is great. Arguing about who had the best dunk is always better with a human opponent rather than a computer opponent. Make sure to try out the online options before getting caught up in the Association Mode for the rest of the year.

Compared to NBA 2k7, 2k8 isn’t leagues above it in visuals and audio. Visually, there is a lot going on in the background during the game with cheerleaders, coaches, fans, ball boys, and mascots. Though, outside of the animations and a few better looking players, this year’s iteration of the NBA 2k series isn’t the biggest improvement in graphics. As for the audio, it does become repetitive, but not as quickly as I have been used to with other sports titles.

Xbox 360 Games : Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Review

Before Tony Hawk Pro Skater came about, the skate boarding (and extreme sports) genre was pretty bad. Most games tried to come off as having the “underground/hardcore/extreme” look but came off as very stale. Once Tony Hawk Pro Skater was released all of that changed, and each year the game keeps improving upon itself by adding more story, multiplayer, and controls. The ninth game in the series is entitled Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground.

One of the first differences players will notice when they launch the single-player game is how open ended and how customizable the game will be. At the very beginning of the game you can start doing tricks and combos off anything within the city you have access to, and the more that you do certain types of trick the more stat increases that you will receive. When you actually start playing the game you will notice that there are three distinct skating styles that you can choose from and they are: Career, Hardcore, and Rigger; or you can choose to be a combination of the three. Depending on which one you start to lean towards, different goals will open up to you, and give you a unique experience each time you play through it.

Again there are three skate styles and each are different from one another. First off the Rigger Skaters are creative skaters who take everyday objects and use them as part of various skate lines. There is a new Rig-A-Kit menu, and from there you can create anything that you have access to, in order to make some sick skate lines. Hardcore stakes are the underground skaters, doing over-the-top challenge that often make them end up in the Emergency Room; with them you will become more aggressive and even gain access to some secret areas. Career skaters are the “attention-getters.” Their main goal is to get commercial sponsorships and deals. With them you can get new photo and film-editing goals. As you can see each type is very different, and that gives you some very interesting gameplay prospects.

Last year, Neversoft introduced the Nail-the-Trick feature, but it

was not executed as graciously as it could have been, and this was in part due to clumsy camera, which made it difficult to do anything. This year the camera has been redone and it makes a world of difference, as the Nail-the-Grab and Nail-the-Manual were really easy to make really great looking combos. In order to enter in the “Nail-the” mode you have to click both thumb sticks together at the same time which puts the game in a “slow motion,” and you perform tricks by moving the left stick (controls left foot) and right stick (controls right foot) to perform various combination, and trying to land the trick.

Another new feature in the game is the Aggro Kick. All gamers have to do is tap the RB button (right bumper) while you are skating, and follow the rhythm in order to continue to do this. This increases your speed that allows you to clear bigger gaps while performing some really cool tricks. On the other hand, if you are off in your timing of the Aggro Kick you will lose all momentum and you will have to start over again.

One of the biggest additions to this game is a Video Editor that allows you to edit your replays. These editing tools are very professional and allow you to add various visual effects, music, and even make cuts to your video to make everything flow more seamlessly. What makes this even better is that while you are playing the game you can purchase some upgrades for this editor that includes new screen effects and overlays.

If you are looking to take a break from skating around for a bit you can always fool around with your own personal Skate Lounge. You can purchase various themes to give your place your own look and feel to it. You can decorate your room with items found in your Rig-A-Kit menu, as well as various objects found within the game world (once you have unlocked/purchase them). It is nice to have little features like this included in the game, because it make players want to customize everything about it, which means you get a lot more replay out of your game purchase.

Each year the developers do a good job of increasing the graphics for each game, and this year is no exception. What I really liked is the detail of all of the character models, from the customization options when you are creating your own skater, the facial and recognizable features of the pro skaters, and even the pedestrians all look different which makes this game more fun to play. The levels that you play in are also nice and varied. In this game you will travel to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and even to Washington, D.C. Each of these locations has their own unique look and feel to them, as well as their secrets to uncover.

The soundtracks for Tony Hawk games are always really important since there a lot of bands/groups center around extreme sports, or the message it puts out. Just like all games in the series this year’s soundtrack was really great and had a lot of popular songs as well as more “underground ones” that are getting the air play they deserve. The sound effects and voiceovers are also really well done, especially if you have a nice stereo system hooked up, you will be able to hear all of the bone-crashing action sound as realistic as you extent it to sound. The voices in this game are really great and add that much more to the overall atmosphere that this game has.

Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground is rated Teen.

SEGA RALLY REVO Review

Much like Formula 1 racing (or even soccer for that matter), Rally car racing is one of those sports that is huge across the pond in Europe, but never achieved much footing here in the US. It’s a shame too, since the sport is an exciting one, offering up a good helping of speed and off-road skill. SEGA is looking to change that, giving the sport some love with their recently released off-road racer, SEGA Rally Revo.

The first off-road racing game to be released by SEGA in the US since the Dreamcast’s salad days, SEGA Rally Revo aesthetically brings the series to the next-generation with gorgeous high-def graphics, great looking car models and excellent terrain deformation. However, what the game has in technical prowess, it lacks in gameplay features, feeling quite shallow especially when held up to other next-gen offerings in the off-road genre, namely DiRT. Still, if you’re looking for a fun off-road racer that wears its arcadey leanings on its sleeve, SEGA Rally Revo might be just the ride you’re looking for.

The terrain deformation is one of the factors that will draw you into the game and is done extremely well. While simply having the tire-marks and mud tracks remain on the track through the whole race would be a nice addition, the developers have done one better and had the terrain actually affect your diving. If your opponents on the track leave the road torn up in front of you, you’ll feel it in the car, meaning that you’ll want to steer clear of your opponents’ tracks in order to keep ahead.

Being an arcade racer, SEGA Rally Revo falls into some of the same situations that are common among arcade games. There are invisible walls surrounding the tracks, meaning that no matter how badly you spin-out, you won’t go careening off of the set path. Another trapping that the game suffers from is the lack of features. There are only five different areas in the game, and while they do vary quite a bit in terms of environment, there are only three courses in each one, making the overall number pretty slim when compared to other racing games. Repetition is pretty apparent in the Championship mode, which is the main career mode in the game.Additionally, the game can be frustratingly tough at times, due to the unforgiving AI.

Oftentimes, making a single mistake will cost you precious footing, knocking you back into last place, a position that’s very difficult to get out of. There is no push when trying to get ahead of your opponents, and they’ll often successfully be able to block you and you’ll be unable to do anything about it.

The cars handle in an arcade-y way, with the terrain often being the mitigating factor in keeping the overall feel of the racing mechanics from being too “vanilla” feeling. Aside from that, though, the game handles a bit shallowly, with floaty turning and a simplistic feel akin to old-school arcade cabinet racers. Those looking for a more intricate approach to rally cars will likely want to check out DiRT, as SEGA Rally Revo is more suited for the casual audience in terms of gameplay.

Graphically, the game is very impressive. While the framerates don’t move quite as smoothly as other racers like Forza 2 and the environments feel perhaps a bit too “cartoony” in that certain SEGA way (with effects like jets with colorful smoke trails flowing behind them in one stage), the game looks extremely polished with some fantastic environmental distortion effects and great looking car models that get covered in mud and dirt depending on what you drive through.

Soundwise, the game is done in the generally cheesy way that many SEGA games are. While the soundtrack is fairly devoid of the wailing rock guitars of other SEGA racers, the music isn’t anything that you’d necessarily want to crank through your surround sound system. There is some voice work, namely a co-driver that tells you if you’re coming up to an easy or difficult turn. This can get a bit annoying and superfluous, considering that a warning icon pops up on the screen before turns anyway.

SEGA Rally Revo won’t really be a game for rally car enthusiasts, considering how the game doesn’t handle terribly realistically and doesn’t give you much in the way of depth. However, for the rest of us the game can be quite fun at times, and could be worth a look if you’re a fan of arcade racers.

Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE 2 (Preview)

The Dance Dance Revolution series basically put the rhythm genre on the map, affectively launching it into the minds (and living rooms) of gamers from all walks of life. The series has launched several different games across a bevy of systems (even the mobile platform) and shows no sign of slowing down. Now, Konami is readying the launch of its next DDR game for the Xbox 360 with DDR Universe 2. The sequel to last year’s Universe, DDR Universe 2 makes a few incremental updates to the formula, but largely keeps things the same. Of course, the series was never about massive changes, and this entry should be a great one for hardcore series fanatics to sink their teeth into.

The biggest new addition to the DDR formula with Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2 is the new Freestyle mode. This mode allows you to dance to the beat of your own drum, not following the arrows, but rather stomping your feet around the way you want to the songs.

Many of the new modes and songs will be returning stalwarts from previous entries to the DDR franchise. The Quest Mode from last year’s Universe will be back, letting you create your own avatar and dance your way across the country through a series of missions. Also, the online component still benefits from Xbox Live, allowing you to dance with people the world over.

Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2 makes subtle changes over its predecessors, but should be a worthy title for long-time fans of the series.

Scoring Review Details for NBA Live 08

NBA Live 08

Gameplay: 8.0

While there are a few quirks in the gameplay that have returned from previous versions, the on-court play has been drastically cleaned up and plays much more fluidly. The new features are great, including the quick pick play feature that lets you play as your own personal dream team, the scenario mode, and the FIBA World Championship.

Graphics: 9.0

The most noticeable graphical update in the game is the jump to 60 frames per second, giving the game a generally smoother and more realistic look. The players themselves also look extremely accurate and realistic, with realistic body dimensions, facial mapping, and great new animations making the game look better than ever.

Sound: 8.5

NBA Live 08 comes with the same brand of eclectic soundtrack that you’d expect from an EA title, featuring a variety of tracks ranging from hip-hop to rock and dance-punk and several other genres. The commentary is also well done, as are the sound-effects.
Difficulty: Medium

Multiplayer: 8.5

The online leagues are a great, albeit long overdue touch.

Concept: 8.0

While it doesn’t get everything quite right, the fundamental changes made to the Live formula are much appreciated.

Overall: 8.0

NBA Live 08 is a big improvement over NBA Live 07 (or 06, for that matter), offering some great features and cleaner gameplay. If you’ve been waiting for the next-gen iterations to catch up with the current-gen versions, then this is one to get.

Halo 3 Trilogy #3

One of the best FPS' to ever see the light of day




To call Halo 3 eagerly anticipated is saying it quite lightly. Thanks to Bungie, the game has been more than worth the wait, and the end result is undoubtedly the best first person shooter to hit the Xbox 360 yet, and maybe ever. Picking up after the cliffhanger ending of Halo 2, Master Chief is in pursuit of the Covenant, who is hell bent and heading to Earth.


You'll be happy to know first and foremost that Halo 3 improves on everything that has been seen in the previous two installments of the series, from the game's epic story to the overall gameplay mechanics. The story provides enough closure and answers many of the questions raised in Halo 2, and nicely ties things up while leaving enough room open if there ever are any more installments in the series. As for the gameplay, which is the reason enough to pick the game up even of the story were a disappointment, is everything you could hope for and more so besides.


The single player campaign is lengthy enough to satisfy jaded gamers angry at the incredibly short length of Halo 2, but what even makes it more enjoyable is the four-player co-op mode, which can even be taken over Xbox Live. And yes, speaking of Xbox Live, the multiplayer options is where the real meat and potatoes of Halo 3 is to be had, but you already knew that.


Besides the standard deathmatch modes, there are some new options, most notably Infection, which involves zombies trying to convert you. New map modes and options really let the player let loose with creativity as well, and result in an incredible amount of replay value that an FPS hasn't seen in quite some time. There are new weapons, brilliant graphics, solid voice acting, and the game isn't hard at all for new gamers to the series to pick up either.


Yes, Halo 3 is finally here, and it's quite simply the best FPS to hit the Xbox 360 yet. Whether or not you'll prefer it over Gears of War is another story entirely, but needless to say, there is plenty here to keep you occupied for quite some time.

Halo 3 Trilogy #2

I BELIEVE!,
Since the days of Halo 1 & 2 on the original Xbox, I have found the Halo series slightly over hyped and somewhat boring. Especially when compared to other online FPS's such as Counter-Strike / Quake / Unreal. So you can rest assured, this review was not written by a Halo "fanboy" or fanatic.
Now in 2007, Halo 3 is finally upon us and all I can say is I now do "believe" this is the best in the Halo series and will live up to its hype.

Pros:
I think the absolute number one feature for Halo 3 is the online play A SOLID 10/10. It is incredibly stable, easy to use and it just plain works! Within 10 minutes of inserting the game disc, my buddy and I were squaring off in battle over XBOX live along with nearly half a million other players! Voice over IP is loud and clear with an occasional echo, no lagging or stalling even on release day! The interface is absolutely beautiful.
I'm sure things will be even further improved over time by online patches and updates.

The graphics are a 9/10. I have seen better effects & textures (BioShock, BF 2142, etc.) but all in all, I am very pleased. (Note: I am running an Xbox 360 elite w/ HDMI on a LG 32" 1080i display)

I give the sounds effects and music a 8/10, nothing really mindblowing.

Fun factor is a perfect 10/10! It really is addicting.

Single player story mode works great too. Although it is not the true "focus" of the game, single player mode will provide great entertainment when you're seeking a change of pace. It's somewhat short, but has excellent replay value. And YES you can play to story mode online with friends!

Cons:
I honestly haven't yet found many flaws in the GAME itself. If I were to be picky, I would say the graphics and sound effects "could" be improved further. Also, due to numerous reports of scratched discs in the Limited Editions, Microsoft was careless in its packaging method. I would say 95% of all the LE versions have loose discs and are scratched. (my copy was perfect though because I purchased it locally at Be$t buy and gently shook all the cases to listen for loose discs.)

Halo 3 is a true winner for noobies and veterans of the Halo series period. I think this game will offer endless entertainment for quite some time and the Limited Edition is $70 well spent. You get quite a few extra goodies with the LE, such as a metal case, mini-hard cover book, and lots of extras on the bonus disc. For a mere $10 additional dollars, it is well worth it.

Just remember, you may want to purchase the Limited Edition in a retail store so you can listen for loose discs. With some careful searching, you can find one that does Not contain scratched discs.