Forza Motorsport 3

Racing Games are a dime a dozen. NASCAR, F1, Motorcycles, Pod-Racers, Carts full of Mario, the market is saturated. Ea’s Need for Speed series makes an annual appearance in at least one of its multiple franchises, along with multiple releases of Motorstorm, and Dirt. Honestly, I have no idea how many dirt-bike/ATV games hit the self in the run of a year. My point is simple; there are too many racing games. For every game with an original idea there are 6 others that stroll in and quickly make it a tired standard. So why would you ever give Forza 3 a chance. Even the fact that it’s the third in a series should be enough to warn you away from the repetitive racing formula. That’s what developers at Turn 10 figured out and that’s why this racing game isn’t about racing. That’s right a racing game that’s not about racing. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of racing in it, but it’s not what Forza Motorsport 3 concerns itself with. Nope, the main focus of Forza Motorsport 3 is the cars.
This formula has been applied to gaming before. Some shooters place their sole focus of game on the weapons; other adventure titles revolve around their characters. Forza succeeds at both, making the cars the characters of the game as well as the tools, or weapons as you will. It’s easy to see that once this vision was placed first and foremost as the developer’s goal, the rest (gameplay, presentation, scope) all fell in place, giving an unyielding presentation of the cars, the hero’s of Forza 3. (more…)

The Beatles Rock Band

Announced last April 17, 2009, you and any other gamer out there will be able to buy The Beatles Rock Band, the latest addition to the Rock Band franchise which has revolutionized the rhythm gaming industry, will come out in September in North America, UK and Europe. The Beatles Rock Band review shows that the game will be available on multiple platforms, namely the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and of course, Sony’s Playstation 3.  It is also worth noting that when The Beatles Rock Band on sale on September 9, 2009 or 09/09/09, gamers can buy the stand alone game or part of a Rock band package which includes the basic controllers such as the Ludwig drum set, a bass designed by Sir Paul McCartney himself and a microphone, everything you need to rock out just like the legendary band three decades ago. Furthermore, most of the existing Rock Band controllers will be compatible with this game to the delight of those who already have a set. The Beatles Rock Band limited edition guitars will also be available in due time. (more…)

Sacred 2 Fallen Angel

Another classic RPG game Sacred 2: Fallen Angel on sale for the PC platform worldwide. Like any other RPG it is mostly a cycle of kill enemies and grab the loot. There are a lot of side quests though that may keep you away from the tedious cycle process from time to time. Keep on reading if you want to get to know the game better: the Sacred 2: Fallen Angel review.

The world is humongous, waiting for you to explore and unravel the secrets. This can also bring some headache and extreme annoyance as you will mostly waste your time going from one place to another when completing quests. There are times you would think that you would rather spend some time killing enemies than wasting your time travelling. The teleportation system is lacking in the gates where it usually is supposed to be. There are a lot of quests that you would feel would contribute something to the plot, but then it leads you to somewhere different or out of place. Only those few quests that have a connection to the story would keep you interested. (more…)

Need For Speed Shift

Racing games have been immensely popular even with the SNES. Games like Mario Kart and Top Gear were very popular on the SNES. At present, you can enjoy more realistic and highly addictive racing games, especially when you choose to buy Need for Speed Shift. What exactly is Need for Speed Shift? Need for Speed Shift is the latest racing game of the Need for Speed franchise. But unlike the other Need for Speed games, you might say that Shift will bring you an entirely different experience. Why? Because Need for Speed Shift has an aim – to make the racing game more realistic. And with the help of Mad Studios, the game looks more realistic as ever. But how exactly is Need for Speed Shift realistic? Let’s find out.

One of the first things you’ll notice on Shift is the way it simulates crashes. Now, you’ll feel more terrified if you crash. There’s motion blur, which was always implemented on Need for Speed games. In addition to that, you’ll see the camera violently shaking similar to the videos taken on onboard cameras during crashes on action replay. You’ll also get to experience a temporary vision blur after the crash. You get to hear the typical high speed collision sounds when your car crashes. Then there’s also a sound of heartbeat and a sound of gasp of breath before impact. Other realistic visual you’ll see on Shift includes the heat haze released from engines, subtle reflections from the windshield and tunnel visions at high speed. (more…)

Dirt 2

One of the most successful racing games, Codemasters’ Colin McRae has become a staple with Xbox 360. Of course, due to its success, gamers are expecting a sequel for this classic racing game which came in the form of Dirt 2. When Dirt 2 for sale came out in 2007, it became another huge success. It features six different racing styles, it looks breathtakingly beautiful and it has tons and tons of offline options.

Few racing games in today’s age can compare to what this game has to offer. When people buy Dirt 2, they expect something spectacular and that’s exactly what they get. A Dirt 2 review also shows very realistic effects such as breaking of glass, losing doors, ripping of paint and when you turn over, your car will end up as a beautiful pile of scrap metal. Details on the cars, track, background and weather conditions are simply amazing as well to the point that you will feel you’re in a totally different world. At the same time, the tracks and background are equally as destructible as the car you are driving. Of course, the title is very appropriate since the dirt and grime that you see on track will also stick to your car. (more…)

Darksiders: Wrath of War

The annual E3 convention always features some of the most exciting new gaming prospects that are under development and due to come out some time into the future. This gives gamers a glimpse of what to expect and what they can buy after they finish their current games. With last year’s convention, gamers were given a glimpse of THQ’s Darksiders: Wrath of War on sale later this year. Most likely the actually release date will be announced at this year’s E3 convention.

Following the initial announcement, there has been little news about the game until last April wherein THQ released its first video presentation of the game, but there has yet to be a demo version. The video trailer shows a detailed world and action which was really impressive that has significantly increased the interest with the game. From the Darksiders: Wrath of War review of its trailer, this seems to be a game worth waiting for this year or early next year. (more…)

Damnation

A lot of games today have tried to create a story and gaming experience that takes place in the past and pokes at the idea of a rewritten history. One of the latest games to attempt this feat is known as Damnation. This is a shooter game that takes place in the 20th century with the premise of “what if the American Civil War went on for this long?” A Damnation review shows that you will take on the shoes of Hamilton Rourke who is trying to fight an industrialist by the name of Prescott while leading a group of rebels. Prescott commands an army of mercenaries who are equipped with weapons that are practically way ahead of time.

When you get the chance to purchase Damnation for sale later this year, you will find that it isn’t your run of the mill shooter. Instead this game takes on a resemblance of Tomb Raider which will combine platforming, third person shooting and puzzle solving in one package. You will constantly have to leap gaps, climb walls and shimmy your way across ledges in order to advance through the game. (more…)

Bioshock 2

A rare instance of perfect balance between game play, visual effects and style, the narrative driven first person shooter Bioshock was one of the greatest hits in 2007. This game has given a whole new level and direction for shooters and because of its ultimate success, fans of the game are naturally expecting a follow up. Ever since it was announced, people are edging when and where they can buy Bioshock 2. This has quickly become one of the most anticipated sequels of 2009.

For those unaware of the original game, this shooter was set in an undersea city known as Rapture. The gamer plays as Jack as he explores the city. With a moody atmosphere, Jack and the gamer quickly discovers that the city is only great in theory and finds out that it has taken a plunge due to numerous events that seem to happen randomly. The city was first built and founded by a businessman by the name of Andrew Ryan, after some time a civil war broke out and what’s left was a shallow shell of its former glory. Now it is inhabited with mutants as a result of Ryan’s genetic experiments. When Bioshock 2 on sale comes, the player is put into the same world ten years after the original game.  (more…)

UFC 2009 Undisputed

UFC 2009 Undisputed is the first MMA video game that will be released since UFC: Sudden Impact was launched in 2004.  It is the ultimate video game, for people who enjoy watching two fighters battle it out inside the octagon ring of UFC or Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The professional mixed martial arts sport turned video game is set to be available second quarter of 2009.  Yuke Osaka joins forces with THQ in coming out with the most realistic UFC video game ever to hit the market, thus, living up to its official tagline “As Real As It Gets”. (more…)

Godfather 2

The Godfather II is a video game that was inspired by the 1974 crime drama film “The Godfather Part II.” The film was written by Mario Puzo and was helmed by Francis Ford Coppola. The video game was published by Electronic Arts. It will be released on Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PS3. This game is also the sequel to its predecessor The Godfather: The Game which was released in 2006. It was also inspired by the original film that was directed by Coppolla and written by Puzo.
The development of The Godfather II started in early 2008. EA revealed that the game will be released in the US on February 24, 2009. Unfortunately, there is no version for the Wii. Gamers will have to wait for that.
The Godfather II takes place in 1950s and 1960s. It is set in 3 cities: Miami, New York, and Havana. Michael Corleone asked the character of the gamer to take over the family after Aldo Trapani’s death. Aldo Trapani was the protagonist in the first game. In the sequel, the player controls Dominic. He is more cold, violent, and arrogant when compared to Aldo. Aldo, on the other hand, had moral dilemmas when killing the main characters in the first game. The gamer has to lead the family and defeat the other families in order to take over the businesses and become the number one mobster all over America. (more…)