Xbox 360: The Must Haves
With the Xbox 360 currently flying off shelves at a record rate, due in no small part to the great price decrease in the console, we take a look at some games any owner of this console ought to own!
Banjo and Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts is first up. Whether you're a teary eyed fan of the original back from the N64 days, or a newcomer to this crazy team, this game has all the right stuff. While
the original B-K had you traversing the landscape collecting treasures,
Banjo and Kazooie are getting a bit old for that now. So instead, they
gather what are called Jiggies, in order to build vehicles in which to
quickly navigate the game's large world.
An impressive feature brought to this game is the vehicle creation element. Your heroes can craft such contraptions as buggies and airplanes, with anything in-between possible! Always wanted to create a spring powered robot? If so then Banjo and Kazooie is the place to do so!
Next up we have Fable 2, a game which no doubt has a reputation that almost speaks for itself. This is a game that on its own arguably warrants buying an Xbox 360. This game features explorative freedom at an astounding level and gameplay so immersive its possible to lose yourself within the world laid before you.
Part of Fable II's runaway appeal, and a testament to the game's long development time is the pet system. Interestingly, your dog will not do whatever you tell it to, and especially not right away or all the time, reflecting the real life unpredictability of animals. You can prompt it to attack, or distract, or point out where something is, but often the dog just hangs out and follows you around.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the pet system is how it
incorporates into your morality system.
As in other recent RPGs, Fable utilizes a system which will recognise the decisions you make in-game and this will effect your persona. Do good deeds and your character will grow into a bastion of light with a divine visage to boot. Conversely, act like an evil bad guy and you will appear accordingly, sprouting daemonic hordes and growing rather ugly.
If you're looking for a game wherein the decisions are yours to make in an unbound world, then Fable 2 is definitely for you!
Finally, the king of the Christmas popularity contest, it's Gears of War 2. After the massive success of the opening game, Gears of War returned bigger and better than before, improving in all the right areas and yet retaining the astounding mechanics that have gone on to cement the game in history.
The weapons are more balanced this time around, and have seen some new additions: the flamethrower, the mulcher (a high-power chaingun) and the mortar. Grenades can also now be used as proximity mines and gas grenades.
In Gears of War 2, close-combat is the most intense of all. Without going into too much graphic detail, when an enemy is down, there are many brutal and gory ways to make sure he stays down!
We mustn't let the emphasis on gore overshadow what is actually a highly techinical and skilful game, and well deserving of a place in every gaming cabinet!