Video Games Today

• My Fallout 3 Review...finally?
• Kitsune's Fable II Review.
• Prince of Persia Review
• EndWar Review
• Call of Duty: World at War Review
• Rock Band 2 Review
• Left 4 Dead Review
• Mirrors Edge Review
• Podcasts...FINALLY!
• Additions to the VGToday Crew
• And everything else we always post (News, Previews, Videos, etc.)
  

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Us at VGToday just wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year. We also have a special report from a Private Investigator finally proving how the Xbox 360 copied the Playstation 3! Click to view the rest of the post to see it!

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The VGToday Crew

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Participating Gamestops have now made all Limited Editions of games released before December 25th the normal price of $59.99. Limited Editions used to cost 10$ more than the normal game. Below are some great ideas for limited editions!

• Fallout 3 Limited Edition ($59.99 at Gamestop): Basically, a lunchbox with lots of neat collectibles in it. Including and awesome Bobblehead.
• Prince of Persia Limited Edition ($59.99 at Gamestop): Has the full soundtrack included, a Prima Strategy Guide, "Making of" videos, and much more.
  

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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As we all know, music games have taken very large leaps the last few years. Where games like Rez, and Parappa the Rapper were the first games you though of; now days you think of Guitar Hero. World Tour is just the next big step for the series.

The game is principally the same as it has been in past iterations of the series. You have the choice to play a career mode, quickplay, or multiplayer online. Though this time you are able to create your own ‘rocker’. I’ll discuss that further down.

If you happen to be one of those people who live under rocks, you may be wondering what these games are, and how to play them. Basically games like Guitar Hero, and Rock Band are games that allow you to ‘rock out’ even when you have no true musical skills. The guitars work by pressing and holding down the colored ‘fret’ buttons, and strumming at the correct time. The drums work by pounding on the correct color coded pad at the correct time, and the mic works by screeching into it.

Career Mode

Believe it or not, there is some kind of story. Though it’s practically goes “You were a kid”, you play all the songs in the career mode, “…now you’re an adult rockstar, game over! “ Yep, there are 2 cut scenes for each career: Guitar, Bass, Drum, and Vocal. Each career mode has five different difficulties.

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This guy thinks he's cool...

*Beginner: The easiest mode ever created. All you have to do is play your instrument the same time the multicolored line passes the strike line. On the guitar and bass you strum, you don’t even have to use the fret buttons. On drum you hit any of the pads, or the foot pedal. Recommended for anyone not able to walk and chew gum at the same time.

*Easy: This mode is easy, hence the name, but still requires a basic sense of rhythm, and hand-eye coordination. When playing either of the guitars, requires you to use the first three fret buttons. On drum it uses the pads, and every so often it may have a single foot-pedal for you to press. Recommended for those who consider themselves ‘casual gamers’.

*Medium: The best stage to start on if you already have the ability to follow things on a screen, and understand how the game works. The most balanced difficulty in the game not too easy, and not to hard. Just, right. Introduces the blue button on guitars, and adds the kick petal and more notes on drums. Recommended for normal gamers.

*Hard: Hard is well…hard. It introduces the orange fret button for the guitars, and just makes the drums a lot harder. Recommended for those who are tired of Medium.

*Expert: This is the hardest difficulty, and adds in the ‘Open Note’ for the Bass. Open Notes are notes you don’t have to hold down a fret button for, you just strum. The drums are 1:1 to real drummers, and the guitar is just harder to play. Recommended for those who have gotten the hang of Hard.

You Also meet famous rockstars.

Instruments

* Guitar: The guitar is of a decent weight, not heavy, but weighs enough for power strumming. The fret buttons feel nice and are evenly spaced out. The slider bar is a little too close to the fret buttons, so you may find your hand slipping down sometimes and ruining a note spree. The guitar comes with a Sunburst face plate, and two AA batteries. The battery life of the guitar is superb. I’ve had the game for like 2 weeks now, and have yet to need to change them.

* Drums: They are a definite improvement over the rock band drums. It takes around 5-10 minutes to assemble them the first time, and with my set, every pad and cymbal worked like a charm. The kick Pedal doesn’t even move while playing.

* Mic: It’s a Logitech USB microphone…not much to say about it. Oh, it says Guitar Hero on it…

Gameplay

The notes come down the screen and you use the proper method to activate them. Depending on which instrument you are playing. The singer has to sing the song, staying in pitch with it.
The game features a “Create a Rocker” feature. It goes very in-depth with being able to change everything from skin color, to eyes, to creating your own tattoos, and make your own guitar.

Multiplayer

* Face Off: Two players compete in a guitar, bass, drum or vocal match, while alternating play on the same not chart. Each player can play on a different difficulty.
* Pro Face Off: Two players play on the same full chart, and choose their own difficulty.
* Band Quickplay: When on LIVE you connect with other players to play in a online 'band'.
* Band VS Band: You and three other people play against another band, the band with the highest score wins.

Some times it takes awhile to get matched up with people online, and that's annoying when you just want to play

Soundtrack

The song list is very varied, and well picked. Though this is a thing of preference. For the full song list click here.

Final Verdict

If you like the Guitar Hero, and Rock Band series. Then you should definitely buy it. If you've never played either, you may want to go to a friends house and try it out before you spend $189 plus tax, on the game. Also all the instruments are compatible with Rock Band 2. So for most, it's a buy.

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Here is the full song list for Guitar Hero: World Tour. To view the entire post please click to read the rest of the post at the bottom. If anything is missing, please leave us a comment and we will promptly add it in.

1. 311 - "Beautiful Disaster"
2. 30 Seconds To Mars - "The Kill"
3. Airbourne - "Too Much Too Young"
4. The Allman Brothers Band - "Ramblin' Man"
5. Anouk - "Good God"
6. The Answer - "Never Too Late"
7. At The Drive-In - "One Armed Scissor"
8. Beastie Boys - "No Sleep Till Brooklyn"
9. Beatsteaks - "Hail to the Freaks"
10. Billy Idol - "Rebel Yell"
11. Black Label Society - "Stillborn"
12. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Weapon of Choice"
13. Blink-182 - "Dammit"
14. Blondie - "One Way or Another"
15. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - "Hollywood Nights"
16. Bon Jovi - "Livin' On A Prayer"
17. Bullet For My Valentine - "Scream Aim Fire"
18. Coldplay - "Shiver"
19. Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Up Around The Bend"
20. The Cult - "Love Removal Machine"
21. Dinosaur Jr. - "Feel The Pain"
22. The Doors - "Love Me Two Times"
23. Dream Theater - "Pull Me Under"
24. The Eagles - "Hotel California"
25. The Enemy - "Aggro"
26. Filter - "Hey Man, Nice Shot"
27. Fleetwood Mac - "Go Your Own Way"
28. Foo Fighters - "Everlong"
29. The Guess Who - "American Woman"
30. Hush Puppies - "You're Gonna Say Yeah!"
31. Interpol - "Obstacle 1"
32. Jane's Addiction - "Mountain Song"
33. Jimi Hendrix - "Purple Haze (Live)"
34. Jimi Hendrix - "The Wind Cries Mary"
35. Jimmy Eat World - "The Middle"
36. Joe Satriani - "Satch Boogie"
37. Kent - "Vinternoll2"
38. Korn - "Freak On A Leash"
39. Lacuna Coil - "Our Truth"
40. Lenny Kravitz - "Are You Gonna Go My Way"
41. Linkin Park - "What I've Done"
42. The Living End - "Prisoner of Society"
43. Los Lobos - "La Bamba"
44. Lost Prophets - "Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)"
45. Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Sweet Home Alabama (Live)"
46. Mars Volta - "L'Via L'Viaquez"
47. MC5's Wayne Kramer - "Kick Out The Jams"
48. Metallica - "Trapped Under Ice"
49. Michael Jackson - "Beat It"
50. Modest Mouse - "Float On"
51. Motorhead - "Overkill"
52. Muse - "Assassin"
53. Negramaro - "Nuvole e Lenzuola"
54. Nirvana - "About a Girl (Unplugged)"
55. No Doubt - "Spiderwebs"
56. NOFX - "Soul Doubt"
57. Oasis - "Some Might Say"
58. Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train"
59. Ozzy Osbourne - "Mr. Crowley"
60. Paramore - "Misery Business"
61. Pat Benatar - "Heartbreaker"
62. R.E.M. - "The One I Love"
63. Radio Futura - "Escuela De Calor"
64. Rise Against - "Re-Education Through Labor"
65. Sex Pistols - "Pretty Vacant"
66. Silversun Pickups - "Lazy Eye"
67. Smashing Pumpkins - "Today"
68. Steely Dan - "Do It Again"
69. Steve Miller Band - "The Joker"
70. Sting - "Demolition Man (Live)"
71. The Stone Roses - "Love Spreads"
72. Stuck In The Sound - "Toy Boy"
73. Sublime - "Santeria"
74. Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger"
75. System of a Down - "B.Y.O.B."
76. Ted Nugent - "Stranglehold"
77. Ted Nugent's Original Guitar Duel Recording
78. Tokio Hotel - "Monsoon"
79. Tool - "Parabola"
80. Tool - "Schism"
81. Tool - "Vicarious"
82. Trust - "Antisocial"
83. Van Halen - "Hot For Teacher"
84. Willie Nelson - "On The Road Again"
85. Wings - "Band on the Run"
86. Zakk Wylde - "Original Guitar Duel Recording"

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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You heard it right, Soulja Boy has created a Gears of War 2 montage that was posted on his official youtube channel. Whether or not this is really "Soulja Boy" playing, is yet to be confirmed. If you are interested in seeing your "favorite" hip-hop artist playing Gears 2, be sure to watch the above video.

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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The year of 2008 is finally coming to a close, after a great year of gaming. Many great franchises have gotten their anticipated sequels, and some good, new IP has arisen. As most other gaming websites do, I'd like to present you with my personal Game of the Year picks. Note, these are my opinions, not VGToday as a whole. Kitsune will be posting his shortly. Now, without further adieu...

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Even though this is merely an internet prank, I thought it to be funny enough to post it for everyone to see...and get GearsRoll'd at. Be sure to spread it around.

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Xbox Live Nation is a new community website for Xbox 360, and Xbox Live. The site focuses on bringing the community closer together by "creating Xbox Live related programming standards, research on innovating community services, beta testing applications and services, and promoting xbox live community."

Xbox Live Nation is a site aimed at creating Xbox Live related programming standards, research on innovating community services, beta testing applications and services, and promoting xbox live community.

Xbox Live Nation is a joined project of several Xbox.com Community Developers in order to build the ultimate Xbox Live embedded services for the Community.

Link: http://www.xboxlivenation.com

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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1. Leavers/Long Matchmaking Times: The multiplayer in Gears 2 is broken, as most people are aware. It takes a long while to find a game without a full party of five people, even then, on some playlists it takes a long time with the party. If you can get past the wait, then you get to the real problem with this matchmaking system. In contrast to popular opinion, I like the Halo-esque matchmaking for Gears, and the voting makes good variation in gametypes and maps. In Gears 1 you only ever saw Warzone on Gridlock, now it is randomly voted on. The real problem though is if someone leaves the game. Epic tried to stop people from leaving games by making no "Quit" button in the start menu. This is easily overcome by going to the dashboard, or just turning off your xbox. Unlike games like Call of Duty, when you lose a player on your team...a new player that is matchmaking CANNOT jump into the game in progress. This effectively makes games broken if someone leaves, and increases Matchmaking times. Epic seems to think that the matchmaking is a bug in the coding or networking, it is not. I have come to the conclusion that the wait times happen because people cannot jump into games in progress. Most of the time, when playing a CoD Series game, you will get in a game in progress rather than a brand new one. This makes the load extremely short. Maybe Epic should learn from CoD.
2. Laziness From Epic: As seen in Gears 1, Epic never cares about fixing major game breaking bugs as long as they rake in some "hard earned" cash. Epic is all about profit, as seen from the map packs...but I'll talk about that later down this post. An example is that in Gears 1, "crab-walking" was never fixed. This was a glitch where a user could run and shoot at the same time, effectively breaking the multiplayer experience. In Gears 2, it has similar issues. I will not go into great detail in this section, so I'll give one example. The shield glitch is my example for today. The shield glitch is where a user can pick up the shield and hold his shot gun at the same time. Normally, you can only have a pistol out with your shield, making the shield fair. With a shotgun, you can see how the game become broken. Do not get me wrong, I know all games have bugs and glitches when released, but it is inexcusable when the game has GAME BREAKING glitches/bugs. And if there is a game breaking bug, it should be fixed promptly by the developer. Many people say to give Epic time, but we did that with the crab walking, but it is still there.
3. Lack of Playtesting: This expands on the laziness of Epic, and/or shows that Microsoft makes developers rush products out...as we all know they do. Over the past week numerous problems have arisen that SHOULD have been seen and fixed during playtesting. One of these things has to do with walls having no density. On most walls in multiplayer matches, if they are relatively thin, you can melee right through them at an enemy on the other side of the wall. (Here is the link to the video) I am not going to go on, and on, about this topic since the video clearly conveys my point.
4. Lag Switching: This is probably the single, largest problem with the multiplayer aspect of the game. In case none of you know what this is, it is when someone turns their modem on Standby and everyone in the game lags, except the person on standby. Effectively making them win the game 9 times out of 10. This has happened numerous time to me when playing RANKED matches, where my stats count. This gets me irritated, how can Epic ignore such a HUGE problem? This should also have been known about in playtesting, or fixed immediatly after release. It is breaking the online experience, and makes me want to sell my game back for something that I know is quality. Let's just hope Microsoft jumps on the banhammer for these cheaters, and be sure to file a complaint for "System Tempering" if a lag switching occurs to you.
5. All the Little Things:

• Host Advantage: Epic said it was fixed from Gears 1, they lied. Host advantage is not as profound in Gears 2 due to the new matchmaking system...but it still exists. The problem mainly occurs when you shoot someone at the same time, or a little bit before or after.
  
• Chainsaw: Before someone comes and complains that get killed by the chainsaw alot, and I'm just complaining...well, I am. The chainsaw is utterly ridiculous in this game. In Gears 1 I had NO problem getting killed by the "noob" one hit kill weapons, because I had a chance to stop it! In Gears 2, I have unloaded nearly 4 shotgun blasts into the target and he still walks right up to me and chainsaws.
• Chainsaw Lunges: When did the chainsaw become the Energy Sword Epic? Now, when in multiplayer matches, if you are within a foot or two of a chainsaw, the player revving his chainsaw will literally "lunge" at you and kill you. For a better example, think of the Halo 3 Energy Sword. A player can lunge at an enemy with the sword to kill him from a fair distance away, this should NOT happen with the chainsaw. This makes it so you cannot dive or run away from the chainsaw.
• Alot of other stuff: Frankly, I'm tired of talking about Gears 2 right now. I know there is alot more stuff to talk about, but I am done. Do not get me wrong, Gears 2 is a fun game and I have logged in over 30 hours playtime in the game. Sometimes the game just makes me want to sell it back, because some of these faults are inexcusable...and should NOT have been released with the game. Shame on Epic.

Disagree, or agree, with me? Leave a comment with your opinions! We love to hear from the community.

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Epic Game's latest blockbuster release Gears of War 2 only held it's grip on the number one seat of the xbox live charts for a short while. It has now fallen down to the number four seat. Halo 3 is back to the number one, followed by CoD:WaW and CoD4...then Gears 2. This also means even slower matchmaking for the Gears folks. Hopefully those Christmas Sales will boost Cliffy B's confidence again, and ours!

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Rare has finally released a patch that has increased the size of the font that appears through the game. Before, the text was not large enough to be read clearly, or atleast without squinting. Although Rare said the text would not be fixed, I guess they changed their minds.

Good news for BK-N&B fans.

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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That's right! After waiting for forever the 360 version of Team Fortress 2 will finally be getting some much needed attention.

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Microsoft's Search Club Live has now returned it's high priced prizes to the collection with only a small number of them having the "Limited Time!" tag below them. Previously this year, as we reported, LSC removed all prized above the 5001+ ticket mark, and some below it as well. Some of the removed prizes included the Xbox 360 controllers, the Xbox 360 console, Windows Vista Home, Microsoft Office Premium, and many Xbox 360 titles. Most, and some new ones, have returned to club live's prize mall. For how long? Microsoft has not reported how long these prizes will remain up, or why they were even removed in the first place. The best bets for why they were removed was known fraudulent activity by a larger population of users, and/or they ran out of stock due to the Holiday's.

So hurry and get those tickets, we do not know how long the prizes will last!

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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The game hits store shelves March 3, across 3 discs. Hopefully they do a better job packaging the game than they did with Lost Odyssey. That game came with the worst packaging ever.


On the left is how the game shipped. On the right is how it should have shipped. Hopefully Microsoft doesn't make the same mistake twice.

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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The Resident Evil 5 Demo is available right now! In Japan that is...if you're not living in japan, don't fret. You can still get your hands on the Demo.

All you have to do is download the five files on this site, install each piece into the same folder, extract the files, and burn them to a disc. Place disc into you system and have fun killing zombies!

For those who hate paragraphs, here's a list:

1. Download files to a folder.
2. Open one and extract all files.
3. Burn extracted files to a CD or DVD. (May even be able to use a flash drive...haven't tried that yet.)
4. Place in 360.
5. Go to your Demos and it should appear.
6. Have fun.
7. Leave a comment.
   

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew
Disclosure: Video Games Today, and it's staff, are not responsible for any illegal activity committed due to reading any, and all, articles on Video Games Today. This post is NOT promoting illegal activity, this post is for educational purposes and we, the staff of Video Games Today, do not intend readers to use this post for any other uses than educational.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been announced and is expected for release in Fall 2009. This game will be developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, as usual. Infinity Ward has stated they have no intentions to ever return to WWII, anytime soon, if at all. No word from Treyarch, but it seems we will be on a Modern-WWII yearly rotation from now on. I personally cannot wait for my modern guns again, and a great single player! Wait, did I say that out loud?

Source: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/12/03/activision-announces-guitar-hero-5-new-tony-hawk-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2-more-at-in-game-ad-conference/

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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The new avatar "pack" for the Xbox 360 has been released for free via Xbox Live. You cannot really call it a "pack", as there is only a hat, gloves, jacket, and boots. Microsoft says there will be more avatar clothing releases soon for free. It is unknown if Microsoft will start charging for avatar clothing packs after a few intial releases. Major Nelson says that they hope to double the amount of avatar clothing choices within 6 months, as to price...we do not know.

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• Fallout 3 Review for the Xbox 360
• Fable II Review for the Xbox 360
• Latest News
• Best Selling Games During the Holiday
• Podcast Episode 1
• We are looking for more writers! Email us at lavathing@rochester.rr.com with the Subject Line "VGToday Application".

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Banjo-Kazooie for the Xbox Live Arcade has finally been released today! After two delays of nearly three weeks, the game has hit the XBLA. The game is priced at it's expected 1200 Microsoft Point($15.00 USD) tag. The game features new, updated graphics, HDTV support, easier control scheme, and possible future DLC for the title. Note, this is NOT a new Banjo-Kazooie title, it is the original 1998 title that was previously on the Nintendo 64. There are no additional story elements or missions added to this version, and there is not any expected or announced by Rare. We have already downloaded our copy and will have the review up for this game this weekend.

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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When people think of open-world games the first game people think of is GTA. I mean why not? It's a great game series that sells very well. And as with any media that does well, there WILL be those who copy it. And in the case of Saints Row 2, that may not be such a bad thing.

The game begins very simply. After the events of the first game, (You take over the city as a gang member of the purple clad Saints, and then you explode on a boat...yep the first game had a horrible ending) you awake after being in a 10 year coma. The catch is...you're in prison. The game says that you were horribly scarred in the explosion from the first game, and that your body was rebuilt using plastic surgery. This is where you create your own character with the best character creator seen in any game yet.

The possibilities are endless. A 6'2 man with a muscular build, the face of Michael Jackson, sounds like Britney Spears, and walks like a pimp. Seriously, it can even get that weird. I decided to recreate Pvt. Agustus Cole*Train* from the Gears Of War series.
Once you finally get control you escape from prison, and the bulk of the game begins.



Gameplay
Saints Row 2 uses a generic third-person camera, while it isn't anything new, it gets the job done, most of the time. You go through the game much the same way as you do in GTA games. Drive around the world doing missions for different people in your conquest to retake the city, and build up your gang, and protect your turf. Between missions the game forces you to do some side missions to unlock "Respect Points." This annoyed me more than anything, if you want to just do a quick play through the main missions; Too bad, you can't. The side missions go from fun to just plain stupid. One of them has you being a bodyguard to some celebrity or random guy/girl. While people run at them with weapons, and you have to defend them. While it may not be "fun" it's not long, so just do a few rounds of an activity and get some RP so you can play a few missions in a row. The main missions themselves are alot of "Go here", "Kill this guy", "Break this", "Protect this", and "Blow this up", but they're different enough to keep from getting boring.

There are tons of vehicles in the game. Cars, Trucks, Vans, Helicopters, Planes, Motorcycles, and they all are easy to drive. They aren't ultra heavy like the ones in GTA, and the damage isn't as detailed as Burnout, but it still looks and feels decent.

Story
Not much I can really say about the story. It's about the equivalent of a TV movie, not bad, and not good...just enough to keep you interested without being overly engrossed in the story. The city has changed alot since the first game, but there are still some familiar places. The voice acting is good, and the jokes will make you laugh.



Multiplayer
The game sports 2 multiplayer modes. Versus, and Co-Op. Versus is fun. Fun but I couldn't see myself playing it over all the other games I have. The Co-Op is the best part of the multiplayer. Being able to play the whole game Co-Op at any time, with two completely different character, and the game even scales the amount of enemies to keep the game from being too easy due to the added fire power. Unfortunately the Co-Op only works on Xbox Live, no splitscreen play.

Final Verdict
The game is a definite buy for those who liked GTA: San Andreas, those who bought GTA:IV who though it was too serious, people who laugh at poop jokes, and anyone who wants to take over Stillwater again. For the rest of us, it's a rent.

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Gears of War 2 is one of this year's most anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive titles. Gears 2 is designed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. This is a sequel to the Xbox 360 blockbuster, Gears of War. The game was announced during the 2008 Game Developers Conference by Cliff "Cliffy B" Bleszinski to be "Bigger, Better, and more Badass".

You play as Marcus Fenix, as in the first game, with your partner Dom Santiago. The game has added an extra mode of difficultly to try and sell some of the more "casual" gamers. "Casual" mode from Gears of War is now called "Normal", and "Casual" in Gears 2 is basically the easiest mode in a shooter you will ever encounter. The game starts you out in the last human refuge, Jacinto. Jacinto is the one city that cannot be sunk by the Locust, or so we are to think. You are told the Locust are advancing on Jacinto, and are becoming more "desperate". You are then put in command of Benjamen Carmine. This Carmine is one of the brothers of Anthony Carmine, from Gears of War.

The single player experience is a great improvement over the first installment. It is longer, and generally more of an actual experience. The first game was, and still is, criticized for the sever lack of story. Gears 2 follows the fight against the Locust, along with the side story of Dom and his long-lost wife Maria. The game should take you around 8-14 hours of game time to finish, depending on the level of difficultly you are on. Also, if you wish to get the 1000/1000 gamerscore for the game, you must play through a second time to play on the "Insane" difficultly mode. The difficultly of Insane seems "pumped" up from the first game, due to the improved AI and certain weapon balancing. The Lancer now nearly stops an opponent in his tracks due to "Stopping Power", and the shot gun only gets a "1 hit kill" if you are right next to the enemy. No longer will you see shotgun battles.

The story may not be a classic, but it atleast gives players a reason to be interested in why things are happening. The ending of the game does seem to come to an end abruptly, but it worked. Do not expect a Halo 2, stopping in the middle of a cut scene ending. The story leaves the series wide open for Gears of War 3.

The multiplayer is where this game really excels. Epic has brought in a new Matchmaking System, similar to the Halo 3 matchmaking, replacing the old lobby system seen in Gears of War. The system has had it's problems, including the long waits to find matches when you are alone, or in a four person group. Epic recently released a title update to Gears 2 that seems to have fixed that issue. There is also a ranking system on this installment. It is based off of Microsoft's True Skill, and includes 5 different ranks. These ranks, since they use True Skill, are only based on Wins and Loses in public matches. So no need to cry over a kill being stolen.


Overall, Gears 2 is not a "Gears 1.5". It is it's own single player experience that expands off of the original "story", or lack of one, and makes a really great single player campaign that wants you coming back for the next installment. Also, the multiplayer is a great improvement and will hold lots of fun for a long time to come, along with Horde mode keeping you entertained for hours on end.

Gears of War 2 gets an:
A
Pass -- Rent -- Buy
Enjoy,
Max Burke
VGToday Management; Review Crew

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Still having trouble picking the right game, console, or equipment? Look no further, VGToday's Holiday Shopping Guide is here! Below we have our personal favorite titles for each console, along with what we feel the best console(s) and equipment are. Of course, these are personal opinions so you may have a different opinion than us, but we tried to make a wide variety for every kind of gamer (or non-gamer). Note, all links in the names on the game denotes there is a review or impression of the game on our site. Click on it to be directed to it.

Shooter Fans

• Gears of War 2; A great third person cover shooter brought to you by EPIC Games and Microsoft Game Studios. Gears 2 is an Xbox 360 exclusive and is one of the best, and most anticipated, games of the year for the platform. We gave this game an "A" because it's single player is great and the mutliplayer gives it great longevity. If you are a mature aged shooter fan, this is a must buy.
• Call of Duty: World At War; A first person shooter developed by Treyarch and published by Activison. The is the other blockbuster shooter of the year, but it takes a different path than Gears does. CoD, as normal, is a run and gun fast-paced shooter, compared to Gear's cover based shooter. So decided between these two is based on your preference. If you have the money for both and you like shooters, pick them both up.

Roleplaying Fans

• Fallout 3; This is our favorite RPG of the year, and quite possibly the Game of the Year. You are set in the post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. as a survivor from one of the mysterious Vaults. You can approach this game from a number of different ways, and you can also choose to play this game in first/third person and as a first person shooter/RPG game. The main quests will take you around 20 hours of gametime, but I personally am 24 hours in and have barely touched the main quest...with still loads of side quests to do. I highly recommend this game if you like RPGs, shooters, or just good games.
• Fable II; This is the more "casual" choice for a RPG this holiday season. Although it has the "M for Mature" tag on it, it is much more suitable to play around younger children. This game takes elements from the first game and improves them. If you are more of a "casual" gamer, than pick this up over Fallout 3, and vise-versa.

Racing Fans

• GRID; Possibly the best "straight up" racing game out right now. If you just want to race without the bells and whistles like the open world scenarios of some competitors, get this.
• Burnout: Paradise; The blockbuster racing game hit of 2008. You are placed in an open world where you can team up, or go against friends in one of the best racing online environments on a console to date.

Zombie Lovers (Horror Game Fans)

• Left 4 Dead; Valve's hit of 2008, following it's previous blockbuster "The Orange Box", is a survival horror game where you are in a group of four survivors who must...well, survive. This game features the "Director AI" that changes the game completely each playthrough. This makes it so you have high replayability and you must work as a team to survive the hordes!
• Dead Space; One of the "sleeper" hits from 2008. You are Isaac, an engineer, who is sent to repair a mining ship that has been radio dead. When you arrive the crew has been killed and hordes of zombies have infected the ship, or so it seems.

Kid Friendly

• Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise; A great and fun game that puts you in charge of your own pinata garden. You must attract pinatas and have them join your garden, meanwhile growing crops and building houses for them.
• Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts; The latest in the Banjo-Kazooie franchise. You are back and now you can build vehicles to solve every situation for Banjo.
• Banjo-Kazooie XBLA; This is a must buy for me, mainly because of nostalgia. This is the original Banjo-Kazooie that was on the Nintendo 74 in 1998. It is being released tomorrow on the Xbox Live Arcade for only 1200 Microsoft Points (15$).

We hope this brief Holiday Shopping Guide helped you choose what game(s) are right for you, or the person you are buying for this year. If you would like to hear about a game not on the list, feel free to leave a comment and we'll get back to you!

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

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Banjoo-Kazooie, the 1998 platformer hit, is now delayed until December 3rd for release on the Xbox Live Arcade. The game will feature a new control scheme, compared to the original Nintendo 64 game, and HD graphics. There will be no there will be no additional content that was not on the original game. Microsoft says they delayed the release, from November 26th, because of problems with pro-orders of the full retail Banjo game, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. People that preordered the full game, got a code for the XBLA for free, 2 weeks before the public release of the XBLA game. Due to shipping errors, and the codes not arriving to many costumers, Microsoft is extending the "Exclusivity" period another week. Once again, the game will be available via XBLA on December 3rd for 1200 Microsoft Points (15$ USD).

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The New Xbox Experience has arrived to the Xbox 360! In case you have not heard of the NXE, let's go over what it is. This is basically Xbox 360 2.0 (Although this would really be 3.0, the 2.0 change was minor compared to this). If you are connected to Xbox Live as a Gold or Silver, you get the update for free. This update took me about 10-15 minutes on a good connection, so do not expect it to take the normal 30 second dashboard update time. The NXE will change how the dashboard looks forever.

In addition to the fresh new look and design, many great features have come with NXE. If you are a Netflix subscriber, you get to stream movies in HD to your Xbox, no downloading required. The video simply buffers for a few minutes and off you go! To get this to work just put any movie into your queue on Netflix.com, and it will show up on your Xbox 360 within 2-5 seconds for you to watch, instantly! Also, if you have friends with Netflix, up to 8 of you can watch the movie together in a chat (Note, you NEED Xbox Live Gold Membership for this feature)!

Another great feature is the party system! Now, you can have up to 8 people in a private chat! In addition, you can start a party of up to 8 people from the dashboard, decide what game to play, and everyone starts it up and...wala! You are all put into the multiplayer menu upon game start up, in a party! You never have to leave the party when joining a game again!

Also, gamerpics are so yesterday. Avatars, now replace gamerpics (you can still use previously purchased gamerpics) as your virtual self. You can customize these incredibly. I thought this was just a gimmick, and a copy of the Nintendo "Miis". They are not. I cannot explain them as well as show you, so see for yourself.

One last thing before we go play with NXE. You cna now access the full marketplace online! And use microsoft points to purchase marketplace items from Xbox.com. Then, they will be in your Xbox Download Queue next time you turn your xbox on!

Enjoy!

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Though I don't remember much about the Minority Report movie, what I do remember is all of the cool UIs the computers had. I mean the ability to just use your hands to control everything on the screen, with out a mouse or keyboard. It was what I once believed was only possible with 'Movie Magic'! I remember thinking how great that would be if I actually had it....sigh.
Well, Mgestyk has made my dreams come true. Or almost has. Check the video.



Now if they can just improve upon that, then I found a new way to game on my PC. It's like the Wii, without the need for expensive Wiimotes. They're already taking pre-orders at their site.

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This seems to be our very first look at the new DB MMORPG, Dragonball Online. It appears to be very fast paced for a MMORPG, and looks pretty damn good even on cam. The video's in Japanese so I have no idea what they're describing. But, it looks like there will be the chance to fight characters from the show. Anyways pretty cool.

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No, not yet. But soon.

That's right. When Halo3:Recon comes out it will be possible to unlock the once exclusive recon armor. Below are what's need to do the crouch jump in your new armor.

• 1.) The three Vidmaster Achievements (Annual, Lightswitch, 7 on 7) - From Halo 3
• 2.) The Brainpan Achievement -From Halo 3
• 3.) Three unknown achievements form Halo3:Recon.

So, it's NOT possible to unlock the Recon armor before Halo3:Recon comes out, but you can place your feet in the water by unlocking some of the achievements from Halo 3.

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Now playing: Radiohead - 15 Step

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Well, soon we will post our first podcast; name yet to be decided upon.
We would've had it up already, but my computer decided to screw me over, and Max got tired of waiting, and went to bed...or something.

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Xbox Live is currently down for a majority of it's users. So far Microsoft has released no details other than Major Nelson saying the following on his blog:

In the past few hours, the Xbox Operations Center noticed that large number of members were disconnected from Xbox LIVE, some more than once. Our Engineering teams are actively working to determine the root cause of this issue and to prevent it from happening again. If you are disconnected, you should be able to reconnect after a few minutes. Thanks for your patience as we work quickly to solve the issue.

That was posted earlier today, and as of now the problem has only gotten worse. Now you can connect to Xbox Live, but you cannot play any multiplayer games. This is shown in Call of Duty 4 having a mere 500 users online right now. Maybe it is not so bad, they might give us a free Arcade game like last holiday, but I doubt it.

EDIT: It appears as Xbox Live is back up. Post a comment here if you are still having issues.

Dark Kitsune:
Well Major Nelson has released another update.

From reading comments, I see that some folks are still having issues. The Operations center is investigating.

I'm one of those unlucky people who are still having problems. This has throughly messed up my gaming weekend.

Edit: Another update! Though it isn't very helpful to me!

We’re noticing a few members are still having issues. We’re investigating. Thanks.

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Left 4 Dead is Valve's latest project which releases next Tuesday, the 18th of November. The game is a survival horror which brings the "survival" part of the genre to the fullest. You are one of four survivors of a zombie infection, which is very similar to the Resident Evil series, who must fight to stay alive in the infested city. From what I gathered from the demo you must work your way, in the campaign, to escape the city and get to a government refuge. At the intro of the game a government helicopter is shouting to the city for survivors to head to the hospital for evacuation.

So you pick one of the four survivors you want to play as, none of any has an advantage or disadvantage over any other of them. There is a table in front of where you spawn with a pump shotgun and what appears to be a MP5, or other SMG. You may pick one of them and grab the First-Aid kits on the table, which you will need. You also have a pistol that has unlimited ammo. As it stands, the pistol is way to powerful for it to have unlimited ammo. I found myself using the pistol more than my shotgun because of range. I'd only use the shotgun if the zombies got up close to be, which happens alot. Valve needs to make the pistols have an ammo cap, or lower damage. As is, it takes 2-4 hits with a pistol to kill. Also, if you find a pistol on the ground you can dual-wield.

The co-op element of this game, and it's major selling point, is great. It is probably the best co-op experience I've had it awhile, if not ever. If you are constricted by a smoker zombie, or tagged by a boomer zombie, or on the ground because of a hunter zombie you NEED the help of your allies to survive. There cannot be a lone ranger in this game because of that. Also, the AI Director keeps this game fresh. Each time I ran through it, it was different. The zombies never came the same way, nor in the same numbers or types. This will give the game untold amounts of replay value.

Since this is only a Demo Impression and not a full on game review I will stop here and give more time to reviewing this game when it releases. I highly suggest this game, and it will most likely have my vote for game of the year.

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7-Eleven once again is breaking street dates for video games. As reported two weeks ago, 7-Eleven leaked several Gears of War 2 copies. These leaks were due to the sales persons not reading the "Do Not Sell Before ****" sticker. Now, this week, reports of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King being sold at 7-Eleven are up. Apparently, another unaware sales person sold a copy of the game without reading the sticker on the box that clearly stated NOT to sell the game before the said release date. Sarcastic Gamer's Lono reported going to a local 7-Eleven and asking for a copy of Gears of War 2 before the intended release date. He says he asked for a copy of the game and the sales person was going to sell it to him, but she could not find where the copies were.

So if you're looking for games before their release, head over to 7-Eleven the week of release and see if you can a faulty sales person. Microsoft and 7-Eleven have not made any statements thus far.

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Epic Games released this statement on the multiplayer matchmaking issue on Gears of War 2:

This is an issue that’s affecting some folks, and [we] are...looking into it. I'll let you know more details as I have them. In the mean time, try to go back to the dashboard and use it to test the network connection. Re-sign in to see if you have better results. This has worked for some people for the time being.

Hopefully they can fix this issue, as many people have reported waiting up to 40 minutes for a single game. To help improve matchmaking times try these tips:

• Choose the "Player's Choice" or "Horde" matchmaking playlists.
• Go check your NAT, if it is not "Open" that may be your problem. Call Xbox Support at: 1-800-4MYXBOX
• Search for a game, wait 2 minutes, cancel matchmaking, wait on menu's for 2 minutes, resume matchmaking.
• Unplug, then plug in your router.

If those do not help, then you will have to wait for Epic and Microsoft to release a patch.

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Developed By: EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE)
Published By: EA
Engine:Unreal Engine 3
Genre:First Person/Action/Adventure
System(s):Microsoft Windows
Xbox 360
Playstation 3
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I know what you're thinking. "Another First Person game with the Unreal engine which is probably all gory and full of browns and grays!" You couldn't be more wrong, the game is absolutely gorgeous and sports a jaw-dropping scope that is becoming more common in games these days.
As you start the demo you're introduced to the main colors you will see throughout the game. Whites, blacks, oranges, and blues will make this game very different from previous Unreal Engine games. I played the demo on the 360, but I'm pretty sure the controls are in the respective place for PS3.

The demo is the tutorial level from the first stage of the game. The stage that many have seen in the videos; the very first video actually. You are introduced to Faith and the city that the game takes place in. The game starts with a cellshaded cutscene giving you a little backstory of the world. The people have lost most of their freedom, they're under constant surveillance, and as expected some people reacted negatively to this sudden change. These are the people you work for in the game, delivering messages across rooftops, sewer, and overall just any way you can get the package/ message delivered. Seeing as how all communication is monitored and runners are the only safe...er safest way to deliver a message, it makes sense right?.

As you gain control of Faith the first thing you do is a tutorial, pop-ups instructing you how to play. Simple jumping, crouching, and how to check your current objectives. From there you meet up with another runner. She teaches you some of the more advanced move you will need to complete your objectives. In the game some objects are red, this is runner vision. Runner vision is a way for the game to tell you where to go. You can use it, but you don't have too, seeing as how there are multiple ways to get around the game. I turned it off, because it kind of ruined the visuals for me.The game has a moderate learning curve, seeing as how i died a lot the first time I played it. Also death, no matter how cool it looks(seeing the world in one big motion blur as you plummet to the ground), still sucks. Fortunately you start right back where you died. Then you're run through a quick combat tutorial.

There are two punches, a high punch and a low punch. A kick you can do by jumping and then pressing the attack button(Right Trigger on 360), and a sliding kick you can do by pressing the crouch button while moving and pressing the attack button. You can also disarm enemies in first person with the 'Y' button. you can just press the button at any time when behind them, but when they try to attack you with it you have to wait until it flashes red.
After you learn the basics you begin the actual first level.

The first level starts with credits, and a fast paced first person scripted event, pretty much demoing what you're able to do. After that brief moment the game throws the controls into your hands and says, "Run!"

Watch the First Step. Game comes out today, be sure to at least rent this one. It's defiantly worth it.

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Final Notes
This demo is available on Xbox LIVE,and PSN.
Death Makes a nasty crunch sound.

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Now playing: Deftones - Bored

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Here is a little checklist of what is in store for this week on VGToday:

• Full Gears of War 2 Review
• Left 4 Dead Demo Impressions
• EndWar Demo Impressions
• Call of Duty: World at War BETA Impressions
• The Holiday Season: What Games Should Make It Onto Your List!
• Another writer joins the VGToday crew, Dark_Kistune! Now we will be able to pump out more reviews, interviews, etc. faster!

And much more! Be sure to check back daily and/or use the space at the right to subscribe to the blog and get up to the minute updates!

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Literally 30 minutes ago Microsoft started to pull the plug on Search Club Live, a popular freebie website that gives you prizes for playing games. No statement has been made by Microsoft, but all of the high level prizes such as the Xbox 360 and “Scene It?” have been pulled. Now, only small prizes remain, these include a Kitchen Timer, T-Shirts, etc.

The large amounts of removals may be because of the widespread LSC Cheating. The cheating involved people using “bots”, such as ICHC to do the games automatically. To try and stop this Microsoft put a 1,000 ticket limit per day. But the cheating persisted as many cheaters left the bots on to gain 1,000 points a day. With high level prizes, like an Xbox 360 Console, going for only 55,000 tickets you can see how easily it was for cheaters to get some serious prizes and/or money from selling these gifts.

LSC is still up and running, but all high level prizes are gone as of now. What is the future of LSC? We will have to wait and see!

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The Call of Duty: World at War Multiplayer Beta, previously only available to costumers who preordered the game, is now released to the public via the Xbox Live Marketplace. To find the game you can go under "New Arrivals", then "Game Demos" and it should be listed there. If it is not, go into the "Game Store" then find "Call of Duty: World at War" and there should be the Beta download in that folder. This Beta is multiplayer ONLY and is expected to be shut down next week after release of the full retail game.

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• Gears of War 2; Xbox 360
• Resistance 2; Playstation 3
  
• James Bond: Quantum of Solace; Xbox 360, Wii, Playstation 3, Playstation 2
  
• Tom Clancy's EndWar; Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PSP
  
• Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm; Playstation 3
• Legendary; Xbox 360
• Secret Service; Xbox 360
• Valkyria Chronicles; Playstation 3
• Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World; Playstation 2
  

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As you can see, VGT has gotten a brand new look! Sory for any downtime during the update. Some things are still being fixed and touched up right now. If you find any bugs or problems make a comment on this post explaining it and we will do our best.

Thanks!
VGT Staff

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Tom Clancy's EndWar released in North America yesterday and hit my front door this morning. First Impressions of the game will be up shortly followed by a full length review in a few weeks. Busy season is officially started with Fable, Fallout, EndWar, and others released! Also coming this Sunday are my Gears of War 2 first impressions.

We are also giving away a FREE Copy of Gears of War 2 later this November, so if you cannot get your hands on a copy...dont worry! Stay tuned for more info on this giveaway.

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With only a short while left before the release of Valve's Left 4 Dead, they release a video showing the opening scene of the campaign mode. In Left 5 Dead you can play as any of the 4 characters in 4 player co-op. This is sure to be one of the best zombie survival games this year!

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Fallout 3, one of this year's Triple-A RPG's (Roleplaying Game) hit shelves this past Wednesday. The game places you in post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C. The game begins with you being born "in Vault 101", an underground fallout shelter, where you can custom the appearance of your character to be. You then have segments of your childhood, at one year old and your first time walking. This fits great into the walking and movement tutorial. Then you eventually turn 10 years of age and receive your Pip-Boy 3000, which is basically a personal PDA device strapped onto your arm. At this segment you meet some of the people in the Vault like Butch, the Overseer, Amata, etc.

I am going to stop there with story details to avoid spoilers, needless to say you soon escape the vault. Note, this is just my first impressions not a review as I have not finished the game fully yet. The game controls handle well and the graphics look amazing on my HDTV. You should save before leaving the vault because the opening scene is one of the best scenes in recent video games. Stepping out from the vault, the first sunlight you ever see hits your eyes and you are blinded for a few moments before adjusting to the light and seeing the ruins of, what used to be, Washington D.C. Not only is the scene great, but once you realize, "Hey, I can go ANYWHERE I can see right now" you realize this is what "Triple-A Game" really means. From atop the hill you exit the vault from you can see famous buildings such as the Washington Monument and the Interstate Super Highway.

From there it is up to you. You can proceed with your Main Story and go to a town named "Megaton". Megaton is a city built around an atomic bomb that landed but never exploded. This transitions into what I will talk about next, the moral choices in the game. Many RPGs try to bring this into their games...but Fallout 3 really succeeds. You will soon face a hard decision in Megaton that will ultimately shape how you play the game. When you enter Megaton you can, and will, go to the local Saloon. You meet a Mr. Burke who wants help detonating the A-bomb in the city so wipe the town off the map. Now, you can agree to this and go through with it. Or you can run to the sheriff you met when you first entered Megaton. I choose to be the "goody-goody" during my first play through so I immediately run to the Sheriff. I tell him what happened and we heads to the Saloon. After telling Burke he is arrested and turns his back for a second, Burke pulls out his 10mm Silenced Pistol. This is another point in the game that sees how you react to what is happening. You can sit and let the Sheriff die, or you can kill Burke before he assassinates the Sheriff. This is what RPGs are supposed to be like, your decisions REALLY matter. This is not some Peter Molyneux "fake" moral decisions as seen in past Fable games.

I will stop there and leave you to think upon what RPG you will be picking up this holiday season. With the November rush of games this year, Fallout 3 really stands out well in the crowd.

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Major Nelson has informed the press that all emails to applicants for the New Xbox Experience Preview Program have been sent. So if you registered and filled out the survey, check your inbox and you will see an email from Microsoft telling you if you're in, or out!

I have been accepted in, my NXE impressions and screenshots will be up soon, as long as I dont have to sign a NDA.

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Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is the latest Brothers in Arms by Gearbox and Ubisoft. Brothers in Arms brings the same tactical shooter as it's predecessors. If you're looking for a Call of Duty or Halo "run and gun", pass this on your to buy list.

Brothers in arms puts you in the role of Staff Sergeant Matt Baker who is part of the 101st Airborne Division. You start off the game in a fast forward where you talk to a soldier who's face is not shown. The game goes into a short tutorial to show you the basics and necessities, such as suppressing fire and flanking maneuvers.

The game controls are solid and can be changed to different layouts such as "Call of Duty 4", "Halo 3", and "Rainbow 6" for people that want to use a familiar style. This game builds off of the cover system that Ubisoft uses in most of it's FPS games. You can take cover behind nearly everything, but things like wood will not hold up as well. The cracking effects on wood cover are great, the wood does not just spontaneously combust like many other games, it chips away until the enemy, or you, have destroyed it all.



One major issue with the cover system is the lack of blind fire. You must reveal yourself to the enemy to shoot. And this will often hurt your squad more than you. They will stand straight up in the middle of a fire fight and shoot at the enemy, just to see a bullet aimed at their head.

Hell's Highway has been significantly "dulled" down from previous Brothers in Arms, in terms of the micro management of your squads. Flanking is still useful, and needed in harder difficulties and battles, but you find that you could more easily flank the enemy yourself while your squads try to figure out the cover system.



The major down point of this game is the replay factor. When you start the game you have a choice of easy or medium difficulty, you must beat the game once to get the hard difficulty. This is a turn off to me. Why can't I play the game how I want to first time around. It seems like Gearbox is trying to juice as many hours of playtime out of you before you realize that this game gets old after the first play through. Another sign of this is the achievement list. Instead of having achievements for beating the game on the highest difficultly like in the Call of Duty series. Instead they throw in the series of achievements for amount of days played. Like play the game for 7 days, the for 30 days, etc. In addition to the "Remember September '44" in which you must wait until September 17th of next year to achieve.

Along with lack of single player replayability, the multiplayer falls far short of expectations of FPS games. The multiplayer only has one mode with release, and not plans of yet for more to be added via DLC or patch. The single mode is a form of Capture the Flag. The Brothers in Arms games are good and known for their strategic shooter genre, with micro managing squads. In the multiplayer, Gearbox tries to bring that but falls short. The mutltiplayer has assigned "Team Captains", "Assualt Team", etc. The problem is that the team doesnt have to listen to the Captain, and that makes the captain useless.

Overall, a solid game with some replay problems and lack of a stable multiplayer. This game will make the fans of the series a bit disappointed in it's dulled down nature, but for the casual shooter fan it is great.

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway gets a:
B
Pass -- Rent -- Buy

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...in bringing one of the best RPG experiences to date. Everything looks great and stepping out of the vault was one of the best gaming moments I've have in a long time. I even suggest saving before leaving the vault so you can see it again. It is one of those "Wow, this is what a good game looks and feels like!". I will have a full review up soon (Once I finish the story once). Below are the list of achievements:


Vault 101 Citizenship Award: 10 points
Got the Pip-Boy 3000

The G.O.A.T. Whisperer: 10 points
Took the G.O.A.T.

Escape!: 20 points
Completed "Escape!"

Following in His Footsteps: 20 points
Completed "Following in His Footsteps"

Galaxy News Radio: 20 points
Completed "Galaxy News Radio"

Scientific Pursuits: 20 points
Completed "Scientific Pursuits"

Tranquility Lane: 20 points
Completed "Tranquility Lane"

The Waters of Life: 20 points
Completed "The Waters of Life"

Picking up the Trail: 20 points
Completed "Picking up the Trail"

Rescue from Paradise: 20 points
Completed "Rescue from Paradise"

Finding the Garden of Eden: 20 points
Completed "Finding the Garden of Eden"

The American Dream: 20 points
Completed "The American Dream"

Take it Back!: 40 points
Completed "Take it Back!"

Big Trouble in Big Town: 20 points
Completed "Big Trouble in Big Town"

The Superhuman Gambit: 20 points
Completed "The Superhuman Gambit"

The Wasteland Survival Guide: 20 points
Completed "The Wasteland Survival Guide"

Those!: 20 points
Completed "Those!"

The Nuka-Cola Challenge: 20 points
Completed "The Nuka-Cola Challenge"

Head of State: 20 points
Completed "Head of State"

The Replicated Man: 20 points
Completed "The Replicated Man"

Blood Ties: 20 points
Completed "Blood Ties"

Oasis: 20 points
Completed "Oasis"

The Power of the Atom: 20 points
Completed "The Power of the Atom"

Tenpenny Tower: 20 points
Completed "Tenpenny Tower"

Strictly Business: 20 points
Completed "Strictly Business"

You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head: 20 points
Completed "You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head"

Stealing Independence: 20 points
Completed "Stealing Independence"

Trouble on the Homefront: 20 points
Completed "Trouble on the Homefront"

Agatha's Song: 20 points
Completed "Agatha's Song"

Reilly's Rangers: 20 points
Completed "Reilly's Rangers"

Reaver: 10 points
Reached Level 8 with Bad Karma

Mercenary: 10 points
Reached Level 8 with Neutral Karma

Protector: 10 points
Reached Level 8 with Good Karma

Harbinger of War: 20 points
Reached Level 14 with Bad Karma

Pinnacle of Survival: 20 points
Reached Level 14 with Neutral Karma

Ambassador of Peace: 20 points
Reached Level 14 with Good Karma

Scourge of Humanity: 30 points
Reached Level 20 with Bad Karma

Paradigm of Humanity: 30 points
Reached Level 20 with Neutral Karma

Last, Best Hope of Humanity: 30 points
Reached Level 20 with Good Karma

Weaponsmith: 30 points
Made one of every custom weapon

Doesn't Play Well with Others: 20 points
Killed 300 people

Slayer of Beasts: 20 points
Killed 300 creatures

Silver-Tongued Devil: 20 points
Won 50 Speech Challenges

Data Miner: 20 points
Hacked 50 terminals

Keys are for Cowards: 20 points
Picked 50 locks

One-Man Scouting Party: 20 points
Discovered 100 locations

Psychotic Prankster: 10 points
Placed a grenade or mine while pickpocketing

The Bigger They Are…: 20 points
Kill all the Super Mutant Behemoths

Yes, I Play with Dolls: 10 points
Collected 10 Vault-Tec Bobbleheads

Vault-Tec C.E.O.: 30 points
Collected 20 Vault-Tec Bobbleheads

Everyone enjoy!

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Gametrailers just put this up on their website:



I am super excited about this game now. At first I was worried about the game being a redo of Call of Duty 4. This looks sweet, one of my most anticipated things to do this holiday season...along with Horde mode of Gears 2.

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