Known as Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier it will feature cutting edge technology, prototype high tech weaponry, and state of the art single-player and multiplayer modes.

It will go beyond the core Ghost Recon franchise and deliver a fresh game play experience, with an unparalleled level of quality that will excite long time fans and newcomers alike.

Gamers will also have the chance to play a multiplayer beta in the summer and it will be only be available for a limited time with Splinter Cell: Conviction which releases on 16th April for the Xbox 360.

For ongoing updates and information checkout the official site [www.GhostRecon.com]

If you manage to complete it correctly, you will get early access to the demo, which isn’t available until Thursday for everyone

[http://www.precinct52.com/case1117_briefing]

For those who are not in Europe or can’t crack the challenge – (Hint hint)

I’ve recorded a few videos from the demo for you guys all in HD of course, hit the jump to check em out

Complete with her remastered visuals and silky 60fps framerate and with the 11th in mind, there’s a brand new screen showing Mr Daniel Carrington after the jump.

In the foyer of his iconic institute (you can see that the floor has been well polished in preparation):

This is an independent game called GNILLEY, and this is a humorous demonstration done at Game Jame Sydney. Or, as described on Youtube by it’s creator Glen Forrester,

“Part of my demonstration of the game I built during Game Jam Sydney 2010 at the Powerhouse Museum. Originally supposed to be a game about pitch and colour, instead it became all about yelling at everything. …Ended up scoring the Most Original award.”

You can download the game from here; http://www.klikscene.com/, and if you watched that video, I can assume your download is now underway.

A hack n slasher at its heart, Darksiders starts depressingly slow. For the first few hours it really isn’t very exciting. The action is extremely slow paced and War, the main character, feels far too underpowered.

Bearing in mind that War is one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, it’s annoying that after the prologue he’s stripped of his powers and players are left with a character with only one real attack combo.

Having a sneak preview of the potential of the main character is an increasingly common theme of late with similar happening in Batman: Arkham Asylum and Prototype but it feels frustrating in Darksiders as it takes a little too long to really get going.

It’s not until around the halfway mark of the 12 hour game that players finally see the real potential to War’s powers. Even then there’s still no sign of the fiery horse that we’ve all seen in trailers, until later on in the game.

Despite the meandering first hours of the game though, Darksiders turns out to be a much more enjoyable beast of a game even if it isn’t exactly memorable due to its confused identity. Parallels have been made between it and the Zelda series which isn’t really the case. The basic concept is the same but Darksiders is, unsurprisingly, much darker and lacks some key Zelda elements.

There’s no sign of charming conversations between NPCs or wandering around provincial towns here, nor does Darksiders feel as open as the likes of The Ocarina of Time. However the well constructed puzzles and dungeons within Darksiders do bear a passing resemblance to the Zelda series, albeit with a lot more blood and guts to them. There’s also a shop available for War which offers various armour and other RPG-lite upgrades.

 Gallery

The beat em up mechanics are extremely reminiscent of the God of War series and despite the slow start, the amount of combos available widen into quite a variety. It’s unfortunate then that many of these combos aren’t really worth doing when the basic pummelling of the same buttons over and over works just as well. Most basic enemies can be killed by a few hits of War’s Chaoseater followed by a press of B to inflict the ‘insta-kill move’.

Much like the rest of the game, it’s later in the game when War acquires a secondary weapon such as a scythe or gun that things become more enjoyable with the ability to mix things up particularly fun. A variety of moves do become more useful in the boss fights, and there are certainly plenty of them throughout. So many in fact that they get a little tedious.

The bosses are particularly impressive visually, keeping to the strong post-apocalyptic comic book style that is evident throughout the game. Most of the boss battles suffered from an overreliance on learning their moves via trial and error which quickly became frustrating in latter stages.

With the open ended approach Darksiders echoes the increasingly favoured approach first popularised by Super Metroid: acquiring new powers as the game progresses and retracing steps in order to gain every upgrade and collectible possible.

It certainly extends longevity but it also feels a little predictable. Once an item is acquired such as a grappling hook or the ability to glide, it’s obvious that the ability is needed to get to the next section of the game taking away any real surprise and making things appear a little stale.

Darksiders gives and takes away in equal measures. It’s an enjoyable title, once the first few hours have been traversed, but it doesn’t feel tremendous enough to be a true great. Bearing so many resemblances to great games such as God of War, Devil May Cry and Zelda brings about the question: why play this when you could play one of those instead?

Darksiders was shrewdly released at a time when the competition was limited (excluding the sublime Bayonetta) while later in the year up against Dante’s Inferno and God of War III, it would have struggled to be noticed.

An enjoyable game but one that’s perhaps best left to play during a release lull.

The follow on to the franchise will be available in Autumn 2010, it’s currently being developed for the 360, PS3 and PC.

The first trailer can also be found at this link. – [http://fallout.bethsoft.com]

“Fallout: New Vegas, the follow up to Fallout 3 the 2008 Game of the Year brings this beloved franchise to a location only Fallout could do justice: Vegas. Fallout: New Vegas takes all the action, humor, and post-apocalyptic grime and grit of this legendary series, and raises the stakes.”

Fallout: New Vegas will be featured in magazine cover stories around the world in the month of February. Check the official site for updated details.

In the demo’s single player, gamers have the option to choose and command up to three AI controlled officers to join them in offline missions. Online, up to four friends can team up, and use voice or text chat to coordinate assaults.

The game ships from February 16, 2010.

The screens display the newly announced level Panama Canal and Squad deathmatch feature for the multiplayer side of the game, the images realistic enviroments, tanks and some FIRE!?, check em out kay?

Battlefield Bad Company 2 releases March 2, 2010 for PC, PS3, and 360.

Oh don’t forget to check out the beta for PC users and the new released (PS3 tomorrow) demo on the consoles.

 Gallery

Jordan Watt, Mike Marraffa and Deran Chung talk about the Industrial District and what makes it unique compared to previous designs.

The game is out sometime in May 2010 for 360 and PS3.

It looks pretty fucking brutal, also the guys from SEGA and Rebellion had a few comments to say.

It’s out in a few weeks for PC, PS3 and 360. Check after the jump for the screens, comments and “Infestation” trailer.

“The team at Rebellion has created a truly immersive multiplayer experience with three completely different and compelling playable species.”

“We believe that Aliens vs Predator offers gamers a unique alternative to the current FPS multiplayer games on the market, and sets a precedent for the evolution of multiplayer gaming in the genre.” – Gary Knight, SEGA

 Gallery

“Multiplayer was a huge part of our original AVP game back in 1999, and we’ve kept the spirit of that classic experience in creating the multiplayer for our new Aliens vs Predator.”

“With the demo now gamers can get to grips with each of the three iconic species so they can hone their skills and be ready for when the game launches and battle commences.” – Jason Kingsley, Rebellion.

SEGA has finally confirmed after rumours that an online multiplayer demo will be released for Aliens vs Predator. The demo will be released simultaneously on Live, PSN and STEAM for February 4th.

The demo will allow players the chance to play as all three species – the Colonial Marine, the Predator and the Alien – and pitch their skills against each other in Deathmatch mode on Refinery, one of the game’s multiplayer maps.

Sound’s awesome, we shall have some gameplay videos of it to put up later tomorrow.

“Nier, the newest title from Square Enix, delivers unique and memorable characters, intense action-packed battles, explosive magic and storytelling like only Square Enix can.”

Hit the jump to check out the games features.

• The new action RPG from Square Enix: NIER, the newest franchise from RPG masters Square Enix, delivers unique and memorable characters, intense action-packed battles, explosive magic and storytelling..
• Unbelievable Story Twists and Reveals: Immerse in an amazingly intricate storyline set in a world plagued by human anguish, buried secrets and a ravaging disease. With plot twists hiding around every corner, NIER’s story needs to be seen to be believed.
• RPG-Style Gameplay Injected With Action-Packed Combat: Battle ferocious and mysterious enemies by combining proven RPG-style gameplay, such as magic, character development and faithful allies, with action-focused explosive swordplay and combat.
• Powerful Magical Abilities: When his sword isn’t enough, Nier can call on a remarkable array of stylish and powerful spells to augment his combat moves and overcome adversaries. As players progress, upgraded spells will help defeat ever-more-deadly enemies.
• Brutal Combat Moves: Face off against evil creatures and unleash brutal combat moves along with devastating combo attacks. Unlock an arsenal of devastating weapons, each with its own design and attack style.
• Formidable Allies: Travel with a dynamic party of allies and do battle against monstrous giants as a powerful and united party.
• An Imaginative and Stunning World: Travel across an unforgettable world filled with varied landscapes featuring the hauntingly familiar remains of modern society.

If you purchased a copy via download then update will be provided by the download service.

The patch contains the following:

• Players who experienced distorted shadows or graphical glitches after update 1.0.1 should no longer experience these issues
• Multiplayer connectivity has been improved; users should no longer be required to forward ports to host or join multiplayer games
• The 3D Vision crosshair has been improved

[http://www.gearboxsoftware.com/games/borderlands]

The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 demo features Port Valdez, a new vehicle focused map where up to 24 players can compete against each other in the game’s Rush multiplayer mode.

Players have access to five land and three air vehicles including Main Battle Tanks as well as the fast-moving Quad Bikes and Mobile Armored AA.

The fight is also packed with plenty of infantry combat fought alongside the waterline towards a great oil industrial landscape in the Alaskan mountains.

Be sure to visit our Youtube channel to see some gameplay footage from the demo!

It will be in stores on March 2nd in North America and March 4th in Europe for the 360, PS3 and PC.

It displays the original Big Daddy helping a Little Sister and fighting of Splicers throughout Rapture, with the ending showing a confrontation with the Big Sister. Who will win?

It’s out next Tuesday worldwide for the PS3, 360 and PC.

Make sure to check back here for our hands on videos and reviews.

The new store provides customers living in continental Europe with the convenience of purchasing download-to-own PC and Mac games in Euros, further increasing Direct2Drive’s European customer base.

“Boasting a catalogue of hundreds of PC and Mac titles, Direct2Drive.eu is a natural addition to the Direct2Drive family . As part of IGN Entertainment our European footprint continues to grow steadily , with sales from Direct2Drive UK significantly increasing year-on-year providing us with a solid springboard into Europe.” – Rich Keen, Marketing Director, IGN UK.

To celebrate the launch of the new store , D2D are teaming up with a host of AAA publishers on a series of price promotions.

Beginning with THQ who are offering 50% off all available catalogue during launch week 2nd to 9th Feb.

[www.direct2drive.eu]

The 71st version of Nolan North straps a jetpack to his back and attempts to save the day in a mish mash of flying levels and ground based shooting. Neither of which really have enough going for them to push the game forward.

Dark Void starts off with the tried and true, albeit ridiculously cliché, mechanic of giving you a glimpse of all of your powers before handing you an insipid and boring version of your character to begin the game.

While this approach works for many games, using this in a game that is primarily about a jetpack and then forcing you to play through an hour without it, is ludicrous. One of the many reasons that most people want to play this game is because we all, deep down, want to be the Rocketeer.

Unfortunately what awaits you is a rather dull and linear shooter, even when you finally get your hands on your jet pack you still have to wait until it’s at its best before it becomes fun to use. If only the same could be said about the actual progression in the game, as Dark Void never really becomes fun.

The ground based shooting is average at best due to an underwhelming feeling of power in the guns, even on casual the cookie cutter enemies take well over 60 bullets to dispatch them, and that’s with most of the bullets landing in their head.

But yet, run up to one of the same enemies and punch them in the face and watch them crumble, all of the combat lacks any balance. Luckily the air combat fairs a little better.

 Gallery

With guns built into your jetpack you can swoop in and out of canyons and enemy ships taking down the UFOs with ease and if the guns don’t work you can always hijack them. Although this brings us to another downside, the distinct lack of a variety of animations.

When hijacking a UFO you need to experience a Quick Time Event, this wouldn’t be an issue, if they weren’t all the same button presses resulting in the exact same animations every time. The actual animation itself is fluid and very well presented but when you’ve seen them a dozen times, you wish they would just end.

It’s all very lacklustre, the scenery tends to always look the same, each level is linear despite the verticality of some of them and the combat lacks any real charm. So much more could have been done with the use of the jetpack, punishing finisher moves, puzzle solving, anything would do instead of the mindless – go there, shoot that mechanic, found here.

Dark Void does have some upsides however, the voice acting is well directed, the story is entertaining despite being barking mad and the visuals are a treat. The latter particularly impresses as it takes on a pseudo cartoon feel to the character models which transports you further from reality and into the void.

It’s just a shame that so little was done with an obviously great feature. When flying the jetpack, at first it feels a little tricky to get the grips of it, but once you’ve found your wings, it’s quite enjoyable. Even this is mired in places however by the repetitive nature of the air based combat towards the end of the game.

This is a game that falls short of its own lofty goals and leaves you feeling a little sad at what could have been.

The popular television programs, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are coming to the Nintendo Wii. Better yet, we can expect them to start coming out by the end of this year!

We are excited to add two iconic properties such as ‘JEOPARDY!’ and ‘Wheel of Fortune’ to our Kids, Family and Casual Games portfolio. The opportunity to implement new features such as Wii Speak will re-imagine how these games are played and engage fans with a whole new level of interactivity. – Doug Clemmer, Executive Vice President, THQ Kids, Family and Casual Games.

JEOPARDY! and ‘Wheel of Fortune’ are extraordinarily popular across the globe and it was important for us to find a partner with an international vision. THQ’s focus and proven success within the family market made them the most logical team to bring these renowned properties to new platforms, and we look forward to working with them to create family-friendly interactive experiences. –

Any game that takes the Olympics, either summer or winter, and turns them into a videogame should really stick to one simple premise.

This premise, that all of these games are basically Track and Field, but brought up to date. What this means and the reason that Vancouver 2010 fails to really hook gamers in, is that there’s no tapping of buttons followed by an action.

For example, the long jump would be; tappy-tap, tappy-tap-tap, tappy-tap and then hold another button for the angle to jump. This is a simple game mechanic and one that the world over, knows.

In fact even Mums, Dads and Grandparents usually know how to play Track and Field. Vancouver 2010 doesn’t exploit this worldy known fact and instead opts for awkward and complex controls throughout the games and changes them frequently from event to event.

Skiing and snowboarding seem to be the easiest to learn, much like a racing game, the right trigger adds speed and the left cuts into the snow, allowing you to brake.

However then we come to the Bobsleigh, which asks you to lean with the thumbsticks after lots of tappy-tapping to get you off of the starting line, switch over to the Luge event, however, and find that the leaning is done with the triggers instead. I’m sure this system could have been made easier, simpler for more casual gamers to pick up.

And if the controls don’t put off your friends and family then the AI will. The game doesn’t even have difficulty options, meaning that if you score a respectable score of, say, 101 points on the ski jump, then this will place you in forth position and the leader will flourish with around 160 points.

 Gallery

It’s not because you’re not very good, it’s because they’re miles better, making it inaccessible for more casual gamers to have fun. Even on the racing events, you will find the AI mindlessly bumping into you causing you to fall, which puts you straight in last place with no hope of winning.

And if that doesn’t put you off, then the choice of events may well achieve that. We of course have Skiing, Snowboarding, Bobsliegh, Luge, and Skeleton but where is figure skating? Where is curling? These are very popular events in the winter Olympics and their absence is a little disheartening. You can however enjoy the challenge mode if you feel that the main games are lacking.

The challenge mode is a simple affair, taking each sport and setting a fun challenge for you to strive for, it may be get up to 70KPH in a Bobsleigh, or avoid the snowmen on the course in Super-G Skiing.

These are genuinely fun as it mixes up the games and takes away the awful AI that plagues some of the events. In fact it’s bizarre that for a game based on real life competition, that the least competitive aspect is the most enjoyable.

So much could have been done to ensure that this would be an enjoyable, all round product and it’s a shame that Vancouver 2010 falls so short of the mark.

I can’t even mention the online as the servers were empty at the time I wanted to play and perhaps this speaks volume enough.

Fight together to secure valuable crates in ‘Rush Mode’ as the action progresses seamlessly across a variety of different locations.

Delivering best in class vehicle warfare and unprecendented levels of destruction Battlefield: Bad Company2 will deliver an all-out war experience unlike any other.

Demo ends 25th February 2010 and It’s yours now for 1.35GB.

Xbox Live Download Link: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-GB/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d802454108a8/?of=1

The event starts at 3 pm PST but due to real life I won’t be on till’ about 5:30. But I am looking forward to seeing to fighting you all for a few hours online tonight.

A few other sites are also participating so if you’re on the East Coast or have time early check out some of the other developer and community tags taking part in the event after the jump.

Developer Gamertags

• EASPORTS001
• EASPORTS002
• EASPORTS004
• EASPORTS005
• EASPORTS006
• EASPORTS013

Community Leader Gamertags

• Steve519 http://platformnation.com
• sfx pallidian http://sfx-360.com
• DaKing240 http://360sync.com
• WitchKing9 http://ve3tro.com
• darxide http://maxboxing.com
• msnhockey http://snapshot-hockey.net
• AirUpThere06 http://stickskills.com
• SZips http://csnation.net
• MPDamon http://thesportsgameguy.com
• Kev5890 http://thesportsgameguy.com
• HollywoodRS http://nerdiest-Kids.com

Mass Effect 2 is far more superior to the original in every way. The high action cut-scenes and gameplay has been improved, a deeper character formula and another breathtaking story to continue the sci-fi trilogy.

Once you complete a couple of trivial tutorial missions you are introduced to the Illusive Man. You have been given a mission to save humanity at any cost against a threat no one believes, The Collectors. Luckily for you the Illusive Man provides you with a list of potential squad mates. It’s now up to Commander Shepard to track them down, recruit them and obtain their loyalty.

The partners who sign up all have their own compelling side stories, rescuing family members, to personal quarrels which need to be settled. It’s this what crafts the main focus of the story with each having their own motivation for joining up and wanting to help Shepard save humanity.

Some are soundless and shy, overconfident to unemotional. Either way, BioWares ability to create these unique individuals is matchless. In addition is the energetic voice acting done Martin Sheen as the Illusive Man among the other cast.

What made Mass Effect stand out was the conversation feature between the player and non-playable characters. Allowing the player to choose crucial decisions and interesting results throughout the course of the game. All of this has been left untouched apart from ability to interrupt during a dialogue.

Mass Effect also has the ability for the player to engage in actions throughout certain cutscenes using the Paragon and Renegade responses, such as saving an innocent person from being shot to delivering a punch to the face of a gang leader in a police interrogation room.

The Paragon and Renegade option also returns in the dialogue circle, this can affect your relationship with NPCs throughout the game and vitally the loyalty you will receive from squad members when in certain situations. Using the Renegade option in weapon merchant’s and gift stores can let you exploit the seller into giving discounts or use the Paragon to let the seller give you certain items which wouldn’t be for sale.

 Gallery

Using these options will also change the appearance of Commander Shepard, a positive mind will heal his scars but a negative mind will make them not heal and re-open. With my play-through I opted to gain as much points as I could in Renegade and by the end my Shepard looked more cybernetic than human with a “terminator” likeness such as red lensed eyes and skin disfigurement.

The real deal with Mass Effect 2 shines in the story. Whether or not you decide to use a save from the original Mass Effect the story won’t change significantly apart from past characters returning or not. Certain cut-scenes will be played our slightly different and the reception you receive will have a different experience.

Each choice that you made in the previous game is put to you again, did you regret the decision of sacrificing a squad member or was it made for the better of survival. These decisions are then reflected again through parts of the game and will then be put forward into Mass Effect 3.

The game still has it’s minor faults such as character clipping and very long loading screens but certain areas have improved from Mass Effect. The frame-rate stays at a solid 30 frames per second, not once did I see slow down through my entire play-through.

There’s no longer that lengthy elevator scene or the texture loading at the beginning of a new cut-scene or level. AI has improved, squad mates will attempt to flank enemies and use their best suited weapons/abilities for specific rivals. If they feel their being over-runned they will fall back and defend.

Side quests feel more important than before, their not necessary to do but you can gain vast amounts of experience and point from doing so and even find upgrades for weapons and armor. Doing these will also boost your character level and abilities, giving you a better chance to defeat The Collectors when the time comes.

Throughout the game you will have the chance to unlock various rooms, safes and devices. There are 2 ways to unlock these, bypass or hacking. Bypassing is to find a matching pair of circuits without mismatching. When you move over a node, it reveals it’s circuit type. Activate the node and then quickly move the cursor to find the matching node, if you find a match then the pair will unlock.

Hacking is to find a line of code in a section of scrolling codes, the target your looking for is displayed above, you must then navigate the scrolling code to look for a match while avoiding the red-coded segments. This needs to be done three times in a row for a successful hack.

The tedious missions with the space buggy have been removed, instead your giving a galactic map of the galaxy and the opportunity to explore planets across the solar system. Each one of these planets allows you to scan for various substances and launch probes in search for platinum, iridium, element zero and palladium. Depending on the planet, results will alter on the substance you find. You can then use these to purchase upgrades for certain weapons and powers.

 Gallery

Another perk when scanning planets is you will come across anomalies, these are usually beacons of distress or hostile take overs. You can then proceed to the planet and carry out the N7 missions, you may need to kill a group of mercenaries or activate a satellite, it’s nothing complex but it all counts towards leveling up and gaining experience. You may even find special weapons that you would not find through the main mission or be able to purchase. BioWare has done a great job of offering a variety so nothing gets stale and tedious.

The biggest change that I felt in Mass Effect 2 was the combat, even though this game is a role-playing game at times it feels like a shooter, it handles very well in combat scenes even if you decide not to use biotic powers. Character customization is a big deal throughout the game, if your not loaded up properly you will struggle, maybe not at first but eventually your luck will run out.

You can use your party’s powers to good effect such as pulling enemies into the air or overloading ones shields. The higher ranked commanders have multiple defense barriers so it’s in your favor to use the best suited weapons and powers that you and your squad use. Not all enemies can be taken down straight away, you may need to take down barrier defenses before you can get to work on the armor and health.

The power-wheel allows you to pause time and choose each ones powers, these all vary depending on the class. Using an Engineer against a Mech will allow them to override the system and take control too Sentinels who can turn Humans into blocks of ice using the Cryro Freeze power.

Depending on your active squad members each unique power will have a different outcome, and using the best ability against the right enemy will help a great lot when in combat. An addition on the power-wheel is the ability to map quick map buttons to powers, this is of great use when in combat since you don’t need to keep pausing every second of an assault.

Powers themselves can be upgraded. You have the option to manually upgrade each segment or allow the game to auto-level up, The latter is recommended for novices to the game. The powers have four slots and with every upgrade it will increase power, speed, reload and distance.

New to Mass Effect 2 is the heavy weapons, they can be lethal, highly destructive but limited by ammunition. Some are acquired on missions while others are made by doing research aboard the Normandy.

Players can customize Shepard’s appearance by using the armour locker, here purchased and unlocked armour will be available for players equip. Each piece of armor has a unique gameplay stat bonus. Along with the armour locker you can visit weaponry and equip unlocked weapons for Shepard and his squad. These lockers can also be found throughout various sections of missions.

The thing which I found most amazing was the quantity to detail, it’s un-common for you see a title with so much content and the variety to last up to 60 hours without the dullness. Sure there has been many RPG’s in the past which have been great, but I never felt bored once while playing Mass Effect 2.

Mass Effect 2 is nearly flawless, it’s very rare to get a movie like this with so much detail and a strong story let alone a game. It has a remarkable visuals and effects, strong voice work with an incredible soundtrack.

I look forward to the final piece of this trilogy and to see what BioWare can produce, because so far it’s been a master piece.

There are plenty of new in engine screenshots along with some evocative pieces of concept art waiting for you.

Hit the break to check em out.

 Gallery

2010 is the year for Xbox 360, with big titles including Halo: Reach, Fable III, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction, and Final Fantasy XIII, just to name a few.

And the addition of the downloadable content for Modern Warfare 2 which is coming first exclusively to Xbox 360, new dream cars for Forza Motorsport 3, and much more.

Check below of a full list of content for 2010.

2010 Announced Xbox 360 Blockbusters and Exclusives (in alphabetical order)

• Alan Wake Nightmares come to life in this gripping psychological action thriller from Remedy Entertainment, exclusively on Xbox 360. Join writer Alan Wake as he combats dark forces to solve the mystery behind his wife’s disappearance, with light as his only ally.
• BioShock 2 Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original “BioShock,” you are the very first Big Daddy as you travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city of Rapture, chasing an unseen foe in search of answers to preserve your own survival.
• Crackdown 2 Featuring over-the-top action, a massive living world, unprecedented online and multiplayer capabilities, and stylish graphics, “Crackdown 2” offers complete freedom to explore, destroy, and restore justice to Pacific City – by any means necessary… only on Xbox 360.
• Fable III Return to Albion five decades after your last heroic adventure and experience an action-packed journey that will take you from revolutionary to ruler. As you ascend to the throne as king or queen, you will be called upon to make choices and sacrifices that will test your morality but can have significant impacts on your entire kingdom. Experience the next chapter in the famed “Fable” series exclusively on Xbox 360.
• Final Fantasy XIII The latest installment in the world-renowned “Final Fantasy” series, which has shipped over 85 million units worldwide, will make its first-ever release on Xbox 360 in the U.S. and Europe.
• Game Room on Xbox Live Relive the glory days of classic arcade and console games in their original forms. Your avatar will take part in the original sights, sounds and gameplay that will make these retro games come alive on your Xbox 360 and Windows-based PC in one fast, fun experience.
• Halo: Reach Step into the boots of an elite Spartan soldier in the most prolific “Halo” game yet, exclusively on Xbox 360. Experience the blockbuster prequel to the award winning “Halo” trilogy, as mankind takes a heroic stand to defend the planet Reach, its people and secrets against the ruthless alien Covenant.
• Lips: Party Classics Featuring 40 songs that everyone loves to sing from artists like the Spice Girls, KISS, Village People, Gloria Gaynor, The B-52’s and more, “Lips: Party Classics” will offer USB microphone compatibility for even more singing flexibility. This party can only be found on Xbox 360.
• Lost Planet 2 The all-new sequel to the two million-plus selling action shooter will offer deeper insight into the world of E.D.N. III and the uncertain future of mankind. The extensive multiplayer campaign mode comes with the ability to form teams of up to 4 players on Xbox LIVE to clear mission objectives with friends.
• Mass Effect 2 In this second act of BioWare’s epic space saga, players will once again step into the role of the heroic Commander Shepard, commanding their crew of some of the most dangerous operatives from across the galaxy on a mission so challenging that it’s potentially suicidal.
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction Unleash the skills of your inner renegade spy in this highly anticipated sequel to the multimillion-selling “Splinter Cell” series, one of the most critically acclaimed Xbox exclusive franchises of all time.
• Toy Soldiers Poised to be a smash hit on Xbox LIVE Arcade, “Toy Soldiers” is an action-packed strategy-based game in which players are cast into a fantastic, miniature world where antique toy soldiers fight for survival in vintage WWI dioramas.
• Scrap Metal Drift around corners with guns blazing and take out competitors in the fast-paced, top-down racer “Scrap Metal.” Fight your way through explosive, action-packed missions, defeat cunning bosses, or jump on Xbox LIVE to race against your friends, exclusively on Xbox 360.
• Forza Motorsport 3 Game Add-ons 2009’s best racing game is getting even better! “Forza Motorsport 3” is still growing with monthly Game Add-on car packs, offering players fresh experiences and more cars to tune, paint, share and drive.
• Left 4 Dead 2 The Passing Game Add-on The first game add-on for the co-operative zombie thriller, “Left 4 Dead 2” (“L4D2”), brings the original “Left 4 Dead” survivors down south for a meeting with the “L4D2” cast, while delivering new single-player, multiplayer and co-operative gameplay exclusively for Xbox 360 and the PC.
• Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Map Pack * The first content packs for this award-winning title and biggest entertainment launch ever will be available exclusively first on Xbox 360.

* Timed exclusive

There are some games, where you have to take out your enemies as silently as possible without alerting others. And then there’s Serious Sam HD. The First Encounter has been given a HD reboot on the Xbox Live Arcade to keep the franchise healthy and alive.

Before I go into specifics, Serious Sam HD is no ordinary shooter. It’s not like Modern Warfare 2, where you have realistic environments and enemies, and you have to take them out by killing them, and you get extra damage if you take the time to aim for the head.

It’s not like Halo 3, where the best camp spot is vital to your success. No, Serious Sam HD is a case of shoot anything that moves, and don’t stop shooting it until it explodes, falls on the floor or runs into you with bombs in both hands and hurts/kills you.

Serious Sam has been known for being an ‘over the top’ shooter, and this title continues with that name in mind. When you start the campaign, which can be played by you or cooperatively with up to four players over Xbox Live, the enemies start off in low quantities then go to being massive battles that can take a long time to complete before you can advance into the next area. It’s not a long campaign, but customizable difficulties and bigger weapons and enemies make you want to strive on through to the end.

Serious Sam HD has a wide variety of enemies that will attack you in many different ways; from simply shooting you with machine guns to lobbing bombs and fireballs at you to running at you in a kamikaze fashion with explosives, similar to how Halo 3’s Kamikaze grunts would scream in high pitched voices and walk towards you with plasmas. Just as you think the bosses couldn’t be any bigger, they get even bigger. And to add to that, with bigger weapons such as the Minigun and Laser, they increase in quantities – yes, there are some points in the game where it will feel like you have 100+ enemies on you at once. It can be quite overwhelming, but like I said, you have some big weapons under your belt in this one.

You have a big arsenal of weapons in Serious Sam HD, starting with a knife and revolver, and later on going to some big guns such as the cannon and the almighty Minigun, which can tear through hordes of enemies in seconds. The ammo pickup system works well, although I didn’t find health pick ups very satisfying, especially armour. In some areas, pickups would add about an extra +1 health to your amour, which unless in bizarre circumstances, wouldn’t be beneficial in any way. I personally think this game could take a few hints from Call of Duty, armour can stay, but health should recharge to a set limit overtime. It would certainly add a degree of difficulty to the game.

 Gallery

Useful features of this game are the ability to quick save with just a press of the Y button, it is surprisingly fast and doesn’t disturb your gameplay, and when you die it resumes exactly from where you quick saved, not like other games where it would take you back to the beginning of an area. The problem is this game rarely ever saves by itself, only at the start of each level, which they aren’t very long levels, but if you are overwhelmed by enemies and are killed, you’ll find yourself back miles away from where you died, which is a real bummer sometimes, which is why you have to be tapping the Y button after most fights.

The graphics of this game are OK; nothing revolutionary here. You’ll get better graphics from games such as Battlefield 1943 and Shadow Complex; both of which are the same price as Serious Sam HD, but they are good for an Xbox Live Arcade title. The controls are pretty simple and you’ll pick them up in minutes, but I think moving the jump button to the Left Trigger is a bit dodgy, it would have been more convenient on the A Button instead like most titles. Overall though, they work pretty well and aren’t much of a problem there.

The biggest low of SSHD is that it just isn’t worth 1200 Microsoft Points. After you complete the game, the only thing you can do is either do it over in co-op and/or on a harder difficulty. But that’s it; there are no bonus levels, no extra modes such as a Survival mode which would have been worth implementing into this console revival.

The PC Deathmatch mode has been removed from XBLA version of the game, which is very disappointing as this would have extended the life of the game overall and may have made it worth spending your money on. There are a few little things that could have been added to the game that would have made it a hit.

Luckily though, there are loads of secret weapons and easter eggs in the campaign, it’s just the case knowing where to look. The same as Borderlands; this game is much more fun in cooperative. It will take you years to complete some of the horde section where enemies keep coming and coming and it feels like they never stop. Co-op makes the experience more enjoyable and less painful.

Serious Sam HD; if you play FPS’s such as MW2 you probably won’t like this, but if you’re a fan of the L4D series, or just like shooting anything that moves, this may be worth having a look into. Serious Sam HD is let down by its lack of replay value although the campaign is satisfying but short. One thing you won’t be doing however, is taking this game seriously.