After buying the remaining games I wanted this holiday season as a Christmas present to myself, I figured I’d write an article on games to consider for the 360 gamer in your life this holiday season. Of course, if you’re my age, that 360 gamer in your life is probably you, and you’ll just do what I do and buy yourself the games. But which ones?
I’ve put together a list with some of my quick thoughts on the big titles to consider this holiday season, along with how I feel about each one. Keep in mind that I haven’t played all of them, but I’ll speak a little about each one based on what I’ve experienced, read, or heard. I will continue this feature for the PS3 and the Wii as well.
Co-op & Online Games
Gears of War 2 [$59.99 Amazon]
While Gears of War 2 seems like more of the same as the first one, for many people that’s just perfect. New to Gears of War 2 online play are the jump from 8 to 10 players online, matchmaking, a 2v2v2v2v2 mode called “Wingman”, and a co-op mode for 5 players fighting off waves of Locust called “Horde”. While simple in concept, the Horde mode may perhaps be the most fun online part of the game, and quite a worthy edition. The campaign is also longer – clocking in at maybe 14 or so hours, and is still one of the more fun games to play through co-op with a friend.
Left 4 Dead [$59.99 Amazon]
This game gets points in my book for being pretty innovative as a 4-player co-op FPS zombie survival game. Some have complained that if you’ve played one level, you’ve pretty much played them all since there are limited weapons, zombies types, and actual ways to get through the game. In my opinion, the meat of the game lies in getting through it on its hardest difficulty setting – no easy task by any means. While Halo 3 and Call of Duty: World at War’s hardest difficulty setting become trivial with four players, Left 4 Dead requires you to have four skilled and communicating players to even have the slight possibility of surviving. If you and your buddies are up for possibly the most challenging 4-player co-op game released this generation, Left 4 Dead is the way to go.
Call of Duty: World at War [$59.99 Amazon]
If you loved last year’s Call of Duty 4, you will most likely enjoy Call of Duty: World at War. Some may not enjoy it as much since the move goes back to WWII with the more antiquated weapons, but the Perks, Challenges, Rankings, and various adversarial match types from Call of Duty 4 are present and still enjoyable. However, the multiplayer balancing in the game is off such that lower level players are penalized a lot harsher than in Call of Duty 4. Nowhere is this more evident than the fact that you can’t get a sight for your weapon until you get 75 kills. That’s 75 kills going up against higher level opponents who have sights and are picking you off across the map while you try to even see them.
Music Games
Rock Band 2 [$59.99 Amazon]
More of an update rather than a full-blown sequel to the first game, Rock Band 2 now sports an online Band World Tour mode while at the same time making it possible to play through the World Tour mode by yourself. The soundtrack is larger than the first one, but some argue (myself included) that the selected songs aren’t as good. Still, $60 seems fair for about 100 more songs and you can even import your Rock Band 1 songs into Rock Band 2. If you enjoyed Rock Band 1, Rock Band 2 should be an essential purchase as it folds Rock Band nicely into Rock Band 2 and continues the brand.
Guitar Hero World Tour [$59.99 Amazon]
Perhaps a little late to the party, but still a decent title. While Guitar Hero World Tour doesn’t seem as streamlined and easy to get into as Rock Band 2, it has a music creation mode and features a playlist of several songs not present in the Rock Band games. The Rock Band drumsets are also compatible with Guitar Hero World Tour, so if you aren’t getting enough out of Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero World Tour seems like a good way to supplement your music game library. Personally, I find the Guitar Hero World Tour interface and management a lot more clunky than Rock Band 2, and that the music creation mode is far too underwhelming to be considered a competitive advantage.
Solo Games
Fallout 3 [$59.99 Amazon]
The most accurate description for the game seems to be that it’s Oblivion with guns. If you loved Oblivion, Fallout 3 is sure to please you as not necessarily a sequel to the Fallout series, but a sequel to Oblivion. Of course, the world is post-apocalyptic as opposed to fantasy, but the general gameplay inherent to what made Oblivion so fun seems to be present. The world seems a bit smaller than Oblivion, but more detailed and intricate. To several people, Fallout 3 is being considered as their game of the year.
Fable II [$59.99 Amazon]
If you like your fantasy games a little lighter on the RPG and depth scale, Fable II is the way to go. It doesn’t take itself as seriously as Fallout 3 (or Oblivion for that matter), but for some that can be a bonus. The game is almost like a combination of Oblivion and The Sims. The storyline is pretty short (clocking in at about ten hours), but there are actually plenty of enjoyable sidequests to keep you playing for dozens more hours. It almost felt like a single player mod for World of Warcraft at times. if you enjoy a more whimsical and charming atmosphere to your games, Fable II is worth a look.
Dead Space [$56.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
Dead Space is the horror game of this year, and even considered game of the year for some. There are similarities to BioShock and System Shock 2, and while it doesn’t quite reach their level of excellence, Dead Space is still a fantastic game. For fans of the movies Aliens and Event Horizon, you should definitely check out this sci-fi horror game. Just beware that the game has about as much “horror” as the Aliens movie – namely, a ton of action and some gruesome enemies but you won’t really feel too scared.
Far Cry 2 [$59.99 Amazon]
For those that wish to roam the plains of Africa, Far Cry 2 is for you. It’s a first person shooter sandbox style game where you take down various arms dealers across a modern day wartorn African nation. Unique to Far Cry 2 is the ability for you to ally with whoever you want, and progress through the game in your own way. The claim is the game will take 50 hours to beat, and while this may be exciting for some, it’s not all roses. The fact that there doesn’t seem to be a difficulty ramp up in the game, as you wander from one arms dealer to another and not to some final climatic battle makes the 50 hours drag. There is also no “quick traveling” across the large game world like in Fable 2 and Oblivion – you have to run or drive anywhere you need to go. With many of those gaming hours devoted to just running, not sure if all of this game’s 50 hours contain fun.
Saints Row 2 [$52.99 Amazon]
For the Grand Theft Auto fans that felt Grand Theft Auto IV lost the fun that made the series so enjoyable, they’ll be sure to enjoy Saints Row 2. While Grand Theft Auto IV took itself a little too seriously, Saints Row 2 goes more for an over-the-top comical style approach to the violence and mayhem of this type of game, making it more similar to earlier Grand Theft Auto titles like San Andreas.
Mirror’s Edge [$59.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
Mirror’s Edge is quite a departure from the Battlefield games for DICE, but a welcome new one. The game is played in 1st person and focuses on parkour/speed as you leap your way across buildings in as little time as possible. While innovative, some consider it to be frustrating because the ques on where to go are not always clear and you often die far too many times before actually finding the single correct path through the level. The game is also only about six hours long, but the replay comes in the Time Attack mode. Fans claim that the Time Attack is where you have the most fun in the game – i.e. you already know how you’re supposed to get to the finish spot, but how can you shave time to get there? If you enjoyed competing for the lowest F.N.G. time in Call of Duty 4, Mirror’s Edge might be worth a look.
Fighting Games
Soulcalibur IV [$56.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
Fighting game purists are a dying breed in this generation of gamers, but luckily, they have something like Soulcalibur IV to get in on. The game doesn’t have too much in the way of a single player campaign, nor much refinement over previous iterations, but HD graphics, online play, and an in-depth character creator will probably be enough to satisfy groups of friends that still like to throw down.
Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe [$56.99 Amazon]
Mortal Kombat games tend to draw a different group of fans than the more traditional Capcom or Namco fighting game titles. The game is worth playing exactly for the people that it caters to: Mortal Kombat fans and DC comics fans. Players that study cancels and count the number of frames on the moves will most likely find a broken game that can’t be taken seriously. Mortal Kombat games have never been technically sound – they’re more similar to a big budget summer flick that people just enjoy and Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe continues this trend.
Live Arcade Games
Castle Crashers [1200 Microsoft Points] *Demo Available
The Behemoth’s second game after Alien Hominid, Castle Crashers is a 4-player co-op beat-em-up sidescroller affair similar to Final Fight and other arcade games of the past. Remarkably, Castle Crashers is actually quite long for a side-scrolling beat-em-up, supposedly clocking in at 6-7 hours to beat. Fortunately, the game caters well to fans of side-scrolling beat-em-ups as four different players can choose among four colored knights each with a unique spell. The ability to level up, earn gold, and buy weapons/items adds more depth to the game.
Bionic Commando Rearmed [800 Microsoft Points] *Demo Available
A remake to one of the most beloved NES games of all time, Bionic Commando Rearmed retains the old-school charm while introducing updated graphics, new zones, and additional features. There is also co-op in the game (not present in the original NES release) as well as Time Challenges and Leaderboards. A great game to play if you miss playing this NES classic, or even want to see why it was so beloved in the first place.
Braid [1200 Microsoft Points] *Demo Available
One of the most innovative platformers to date, Braid combines a light Mario-styled platforming element with the ability to rewind time, often using it get past obstacles in the game. The use of the rewinding is unlimited, and can be used even after dying. Puzzles in the game revolve around managing platforming elements and rewinding at the same time, all set to a more darker tone than typical Nintendo platform games.
Earlier 2008 Releases
Civilization Revolution [$56.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
The Civilization series has been a PC gaming staple, but Revolution was designed from the ground up to accompany the couch gamer so you can now control your empire with just a controller. Certain simplifications were made – some for the better and some for the worse, but all in all, Civilization Revolution is successful in bringing the core Civilization gameplay to the home console.
Battlefield: Bad Company [$37.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
One of the main online FPS games to be released after Call of Duty 4, Bad Company succeeds primarily through its enjoyable online matches facilitated through matchmaking and a deep ranking and awards system. It also differentiates itself from its nearest modern combat competitor, Call of Duty 4, with the use of various vehicles like tanks and choppers in online matches.
Ninja Gaiden II [$36.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
For die-hard action junkie fans, Ninja Gaiden II is probably the most exciting title they will play this year. Its combination of difficult, yet inherently satisfying gameplay will have them nearly throwing their controllers yet coming back to the game again and again going “Whoa, did you see that?!”. Definitely not a game for the casual gamer or the easily squeamish – limbs fly through the air and blood flows like wine in this one.
Grand Theft Auto IV [$37.99 Amazon]
Perhaps the most overhyped game of the year, Grand Theft Auto IV seems destined to be the game that went down in history as a game that reviewers scored a perfect 10 while gamers themselves had trouble enjoying it. Still, the amount of effort Rockstar put into the game is enormous, and should at least be experienced before ruling it out altogether. Its presentation is top notch.
Lost Odyssey [$37.99 Amazon]
One of the top Japanese RPGs released on the 360, Lost Odyssey is a brilliant game and perfect for fans of the Final Fantasy games on older consoles. Spanning 4 discs, Lost Odyssey is a vast game that looks modern while still adhering to classic Japanese RPG game design for an enjoyable experience.
Burnout Paradise [$27.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
While there were several Burnout fans that did not support the direction that Burnout Paradise went, there were probably even more fans created due to not only the switch to a sandbox style racing game but the amount of free content the developers continue to pour into the game. All races are no longer closed circuits, but actually take place in the city streets like a Grand Theft Auto-styled minigame.
360 Classics
Rock Band [$56.99 Amazon]
If you’re just getting started on Rock Band 2 and missed out on Rock Band 1, it might be worth checking out just for the songs alone since you can import them into Rock Band 2 for a minimal fee. Rock Band 1 plays very similar to its sequel, except for the lack of an online World Tour or a solo World Tour option. Second-hand copies can be found for cheap.
Mass Effect [$24.99 Amazon]
The first BioWare RPG game on the 360, Mass Effect was huge in scope but a little shorter than people thought. While the main storyline was not even ten hours long, it was an enjoyable sci-fi action RPG that was more heavy on the RPG and had superior story-telling. It also had great characters and character development, along with the ability to play through the game with different personas.
Assassin’s Creed [$23.99 Amazon]
Assassin’s Creed tends to be a polarizing game because people generally really enjoyed it or found it too repetitive. But still, it offers something a bit different, and the presentation is gorgeous. The game takes place across three cities, and the focus is on assassinating key targets through gathering clues and being stealthy.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare [$56.99 Amazon]
Arguable the most popular game on the 360 to date, Call of Duty 4 frequently competed over the top spot as the game 360 gamers played in 2008. While the campaign is a little on the short side, it is well done and the multiplayer has many people logging hundreds of hours. It’s practically the Counter-Strike of the current console generation and even with the release of Call of Duty: World at War, its popularity will not be diminished due to its emphasis on modern weapons.
Virtua Fighter 5 [$34.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
The most technical fighter on the 360, Virtua Fighter 5 has a lot of things going for it that make any fighting game fan happy: a deep combat system, online fighting, and an engrossing single player campaign. More technical and less accessible (read: less button-masher friendly) than Soulcalibur IV, Virtua Fighter 5 is probably game that if you didn’t own already, you probably won’t ever be interested in owning because it’s too serious of a fighting game.
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation [$27.99 Amazon]
The only good air combat game on the 360, Ace Combat 6 is for those that want to shoot down rival fighter planes with missles while shaking missle locks of their own. It is also the first Ace Combat game to have online multiplayer, both adversarial and co-op so air combat fans can finally see how well they do against human opponents. Ace Combat 6 even came with its own joystick in a $150 package, but the regular controller will more than suffice.
The Orange Box [$19.99 Amazon] *Half-Life 2: Episode 2 Demo Available
The Orange Box consists of five different games: Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 Episode: 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. While I’m not the biggest fan of the three dated Half-Life 2 games, both the inclusion of the online multiplayer game, Team Fortress 2, and puzzle-FPS game, Portal, make this package more than worth it at its new retail price of $19.99. If you haven’t played Portal by now, you should go out and buy this right away.
Halo 3 [$39.99 Amazon]
The most reliable online game for the 360 fan, Halo 3 has the staying power to be in the top ten games played by 360 gamers until the very end of this console’s lifecycle. While not an easy task, Bungie has not only continued to release new multiplayer maps for the game, but various other additional content as well. Halo 3 has become the first game to have 1750 Achievement points, which shows just how much content continues to fuel this fan-favorite.
Blue Dragon [$29.79 Hubbagames, through Amazon] *Demo Available
Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s first 360 game, Blue Dragon is a more cutesy Japanese RPG with artwork designed by Akira Toriyama, the artist behind Dragonball and Chrono Trigger. The game is more light-hearted than Lost Odyssey, and if you enjoyed Lost Odyssey and are looking for another Japanese RPG, consider Blue Dragon. While twice as many people in the states bought Lost Odyssey over Blue Dragon, the opposite is true in Japan.
BioShock [$27.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
Many reviewers, including myself, chose BioShock as game of the year in 2007. It is perhaps the best title released on the 360 that weaves a brilliant story coupled with intuitive and enjoyable game mechanics. Clocking in at close to 20 hours, this FPS adventure game is no slouch in length either. At its new attractive price, this is one game that should not be skipped!
Shadowrun [$20.94 Hitgaming Video Games, through Amazon] *Demo Available
Heavily panned by critics and Shadowrun fans alike, Shadowrun on the 360 had a tough time with going from a tabletop RPG game to a FPS online game. But to this day, the game still flourishes and is one of the best online games I’ve played on the 360. The combination of different races, abilities, and spells similar to the Perk system in the current Call of Duty multiplayer games along with the earning of money from winning rounds like in Counter-Strike make it quite the unique and addictive online game provided you’re not a longtime fan of the Shadowrun franchise.
Crackdown [$27.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
Perhaps one of the best “superhero” games ever created, Crackdown should be a model for which actual licensed superhero games are designed. As a supercop, the player levels up various abilities allowing him to leap from building to building, throw cars, and create huge explosions. The game’s premise is simple – clean the city up of the 20 or so mobsters in anyway you can.
Gears of War [$27.99 Amazon]
This original title was the best-selling game on the 360 before Halo 3 released, and while it was a little rough on the edges for multiplayer, it was still the most talked about game with the kiddies. I wasn’t a fan of the multiplayer, but the single player supports co-op and is worth playing through just to experience why it’s such a popular game.
Dead Rising [$19.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
A very unique game, Dead Rising’s premise is what would happen if you were stuck in a shopping mall and it got overrun by zombies. While there are complaints about the game focusing on a realtime clock, it does lend itself well to the overall craziness of the game as you are often forced to make a decision of whether to save one civilian or another. There’s no other game like it that combines both horror and humor on the 360.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion [$56.99 Amazon]
For those that couldn’t get enough of Fallout 3, your next logical step will be to pick up Oblivion, my pick for 2006 Game of the Year. This probably the pinnacle of the “Western RPG game”, as you can get completely engrossed in the game for dozens of hours without even realizing it. This fantasy world is huge and the subquests are vast. The Game of the Year Edition contains the two expansions, Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles.
Burnout Revenge [$42.99 lakeplacegames, through Amazon] *Demo Available
Not being a fan of the more technical racing games myself, Burnout Revenge was an excellent example of a game that is not just appealing to racing game fans, but to anyone that can drive a car. Its emphasis is on stunt driving and wrecking your opponents’ cars, so you’ll often be playing through the game with a mischievious grin. This game is the Burnout game that 360 players should go to if they are looking for the more traditional Burnout game with closed tracks, unlike Burnout Paradise’s open city racing.
Dead or Alive 4 [$29.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
While easily the least technical fighter of the three non-Mortal Kombat fighters on this list, Dead or Alive 4 still ranks highly up there due to it being the easiest to get into (button masher friendly) and for its robust online mode. Dead or Alive 4 allows for up to four players to join a room where two players face off while the other two watch and alternate turns. All four can talk, so it makes the online portion into more of a sociable and enjoyable affair rather than a straight 1v1 match.
Call of Duty 2 [$21.99 Amazon] *Demo Available
For fans of the current Call of Duty games, it’s worth checking out Call of Duty 2 if you missed it the first time. It combines the tight storytelling that Infinity Ward has shown in Call of Duty 4 with the seemingly played out WWII campaign. Even if you’re already tired of WWII, Call of Duty 2 still does everything right, and is certainly worth checking out if you want more FPS action from the guys that made Call of Duty 4 and are curious to see more from this particular developer.
