What a surprise, eh? So much HALO news, it's just too much to take in. If you have no idea what I'm talking about then see here. The news pretty much blew me away and now I just can't wait for Spring 2007. Does this mean that Bungie have been ahead of schedule with HALO 3 and that we won't have a rushed sequel? I really do hope so.

They must be, considering the fact that they're also working on new HALO 2 Multiplayer Maps exclusive to Xbox 360. I do think its really quite clever that Bungie are keeping HALO fans appetites satisfied with these new maps whilst they eagerly await the arrival of HALO 3. This big news might be Bungie's way of trying to say, "Don't forget that little game called HALO 3, folks!" whilst Gears of War is getting all the attention. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, since Gears of War is the most talked about game of this year. So, now I come to the big question, will HALO 3 redefine a genre the same way Gears of War did, or will we have just another sequel to a popular franchise?

So, Superman Returns finally has a release date which is nice, I guess. I really enjoyed the movie, so I was quite excited about the idea of a game, especially since EA Tiburon were going to take their time working on it. I'm hoping that with all the time they've had that its going to be at least above average, but I shouldn't expect much from a movie tie-in. Or should I?
EA Tiburon are respected developers because of their work on the Madden games, so maybe they're going to produce the Superman game we've all been waiting for. We'll see...

I'm thinking about changing my Gamertag at some point as SHADOWSTRYK3R isn't really my kind of thing anymore (why did I name my GS Profile SHADOWSTRYK3R?!) At the time I just wanted to have the name Stryker but Xbox Live wouldn't accept it. So, I added SHADOW at the front and replaced the E with a 3. Now, I want to have something a bit more simple, something catchy but I can never come up with anything. Most of the really good names are taken, e.g. the names of Greek Gods. Whenever I come up with something that I believe no-one else would come up with, I find out that its already taken. If only I could find some sort of 'Gamertag Generator'...

This has got me really excited. I've been looking forward to this game ever since I heard that a 'face-mapping' option using the Xbox Live Vision was going to feature in it. This option to scan you face into a game isn't a new idea, but from what I've read in the UK's OXM, its going to look really realistic. However, I'm sure some people might attempt to be funny and scan things other than their face into the game. :roll:

Check out this article (if you haven't already) for some interesting information about the Xbox Live Vision's abilities within games.

I've started replaying a game from one of my all-time favourite franchises, Worms. Ever since I played the first game on the Playstation back in 1994 I've been hooked on its turn-based, cartoon-style action with its bizarre collection of weaponary. Worms Armageddon is what I consider to be the greatest Worms game of all time because of how flawless the gameplay was, the vast array of weaponry at your disposal and those hysterical cut-scenes.
I've not played any of the 3-D versions yet, but I think I might pick up Worms 4: Mayhem (as its on the Xbox 360 backward compatibility list) at some point and try not to compare it to classic 2-D version whilst playing it...



I've also been playing TotemBall with the Xbox Live Vision Camera. Now, I was very disappointed with this game at first because I didn't feel the controls were very responsive, but once I started playing it on a smaller TV and stood quite close, I kinda liked it. The graphics aren't that great, and the levels aren't very challenging, but moving the TotemBall around with my hands was quite fun. My arms didn't get tired at all but that's because I didn't have my arms up in the air like some people do. You're just meant to use your hands, folks! Remember to get yourself lined up in a good position with the TV and Camera or you will find it frustrating to control the TotemBall.
I am easily entertained, so that could have something to do with my love for this game. :lol:

The first of day of X06 has been a fairly hectic one thanks to some surprising announcements, most notably the announcement of a HALO RTS called HALO Wars.



I was surprised to learn that a HALO RTS was in development but I wasn't really excited. I'm not a big fan of RTS or of the idea of turning HALO into an RTS. It doesn't feel right to to create an RTS using a franchise that is best known as an FPS. It also feels like Microsoft is doing too much with HALO, as there's already a film in the works and lots of merchandise in stores these days. Still, some people may be quite keen on the idea. HALO Wars could be interpreted as Microsoft's way of 'reaching out' to the RTS fans out there.



One of my highlights of Day 1 of X06 was the announcement trailer for the next Banjo Kazooie. I have been waiting so long for Rare to announce it and finally its here. The trailer was actually quite amusing, and it proves that Rare can still make me laugh like they did with Conker's Bad Fur Day. It was also nice to see some footage of Assassin's Creed for the Xbox 360 in the latest trailer. It's all very Prince of Persia-ish (that's definitely a good thing) and the sword fights looked amazing. Kane & Lynch is shaping up to be quite an intriguing game, the style and tone reminds me of some of Guy Richie's early films and 'certain' Robert De Niro films (maybe its just me).



After seeing the latest demonstration, Gears of War still remains at the top of my 'Most Wanted List' this year. It's violent, its challenging and it looks amazing. What more could you ask for?
I'm currently downloading the recently released Sonic the Hedgehog Demo off the Xbox Live Marketplace with great anticipation. I'm not so keen on the storyline, but the gameplay and level design looks fantastic. I've also just downloaded the DOOM Xbox Live Arcade Trial but I doubt I'll play it for very long, it is just DOOM! :P

After Condemned: Criminal Origins' release on the Xbox 360 last year, many expected the arrival of a port of Monolith's popular FPS F.E.A.R to arrive on Microsoft's Next-Gen console soon afterwards. It was quite a wait, but finally Monolith revealed that developer Day: 1: Studios would be assisting in porting F.E.A.R on to the Xbox 360. Now, as we draw closer to the launch of the title, I got my hands on a demo of one of the levels that feature in this highly anticipated game.



In the demo you're sent to a abandoned water treatment plant whilst tracking suspect Paxton Fettel. It's not long before you encounter enemies and the over-the-top action begins. You will have an advantage against your opponents thanks to a Matrix-style Bullet-time which you can use by pressing the Left Bumper. This makes it much easier to take out enemies but you only have the ability for a limited time.



There are 8 different weapons in the demo: a Pistol, a Machine Gun, an Assault Rifle, a Nail Gun, a Shotgun, a Particle Rifle, Frag Grenades and Proximity Grenades. You can cycle through your rifles using the Right Bumper (you fire them with the Right-Trigger) and cycle through grenades using Up on the D-Pad (you throw them with the Left-Trigger). You can also use various melee attacks; you can hit enemies with your weapons (by pressing B) or use a leaping kick attack (by pressing A then B). The result is a combination of shooting and hand to hand combat that is just thrilling.



The Nail Gun was quite an amusing weapon as it disabled enemies by 'pegging' them to the wall. The Particle Rifle also has some entertaining effects as it would fire acidic plasma, roasting enemies and leaving a chargrilled skeleton. The ability to peak around corners is included in the port (Using either left of right on the D-Pad), allowing you check what's around the corner or to make sure you're always behind cover when attacking enemies.



On a normal TV, the graphics occasionally looked better than the PC Version and I didn't notice any lack of graphical polish. The enhanced lighting effects really made a difference to the atmosphere of the gameplay, and it often felt quite spooky. The framerate was quite smooth, but there were times when it disrupted the gameplay (I'm sure it will be sorted out in the finished product).



After getting a taste of things to come, I'm really quite excited about F.E.A.R on the Xbox 360. I haven't been able to play F.E.A.R on the PC since my PC couldn't handle the 'demanding' graphics, so F.E.A.R going to be quite a new experience for me.

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I downloaded the Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Commented Demo from the Xbox Live Marketplace, and I was very impressed. The graphics and physics were absolutely amazing, I can't wait to see more of it later this year.

I recently got my hands on a copy of Black for the Xbox. I was always intrigued by Criterion's vision, so I wanted to see whether they achieved it or not. Now I know Black is considered an 'old' game now, but after experiencing it on my Xbox 360 with surround sound, I've not really been complaining about its age. It looks so much sharper on the Xbox 360 and there are literally no framerate issues. The first couple of levels look a bit bland, but once you're past them, you see some incredible stuff.



The enemy A.I might be a bit stupid, but when you're surrounded and you've got an RPG aimed at you, its quite a challenge to stay alive. I'm very impressed with the look, sound and feel of the weapons. It just feels like Criterion have put a lot of work into making the weapons as realistic as possible. The music is definitely a highlight of the game, just because it makes you feel like you're in a BIG Hollywood action movie and it works perfectly with the different levels.



I have some criticisms though. The most obvious one is the lack of a multiplayer. It would have been nice to see some kind of multiplayer, even a very basic one would have been nice. I also feel that the saving system was a bit annoying, as you have to use checkpoints that happen rarely during each level. The storyline seemed rather uninteresting and tiresome, I just wanted to continuing playing the game rather than having to endure the cut-scenes telling the story.



Black has all the 'ingredients' you require to make an entertaining FPS. I'll probably play it all over again at some point because I enjoyed it so much.

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I finally saw the V for Vendetta film. It was quite good and Hugo Weaving was superb as V, but if they just made it more like the book (e.g having it set the 1980s) then it would have been so much better.

What can I say about the Dead Rising demo? It's just pure, mindless fun. Yeah, that just about sums it up.



Even though you're restricted to what is considered to be a 'small' area of the Shopping Mall, there's still plenty to get your hands on and then smash over the heads of Zombies. In the demo you play as the game's anti-hero, photographer Frank West, who is on the hunt for the scoop of a lifetime. Using your camera, you document your battle with the army of Zombies whilst defending yourself with what you can find around the Shopping Mall. This includes frying pans, golf clubs, bowling balls, skateboards, children's toys and CDs!



Occasionally, you might be caught in a struggle with a Zombie, and you'll have to tap the left tumbstick rapidly from side to side in order to escape their grasp. If you're injured, you can eat food you find around the Shopping Mall and use a Blender to mix different juices together to create drinks with different effects. You can help yourself to clothes you find around the Mall, as well as books which can teach Frank new skills. Some objects such as children's plastic toy masks can be put on Zombies heads to blind their vision and to create amusing photographs.



Graphically, Dead Rising looks great. The cutscenes showed how incredibly detailed and realistic the character models are. Just by looking at the shops within the Mall you can see the attention to detail that has been put into the game. The amount of Zombies on screen doesn't effect the framerate at all, which is pretty amazing when you consider just how many Zombies there actually are. The Zombie A.I is pretty impressive, you'll see them scrambling over counters and surrounding you when you stand in one spot for too long.



Dead Rising seems like it could have a lot of replayability, but I just hope that the storyline is as entertaining as the gameplay.

Sorry about the lack of blog posts, but I haven't really had the time...

Recently, I downloaded the Xbox Live Arcade version of Street Fighter II. Now, I'm not really a big fan of the series, but I definitely enjoyed playing it online with a friend and tackling the challenging Arcade mode. I was surprised by Greg's review, it seemed a little harsh, but still understandable since some people were hoping the online mode would be a whole lot better.


Ouch!

Xbox Live has been busy with lots of new demos and videos, most notably Dead Rising and Saints Row. I wasn't really blown away by Saints Row but that might have been because I didn't like the 'theme' of the game. The graphics were sharp and crisp, the framerate was smooth, the large enviroments were fun to explore and customising your character was a nice touch, but I just wasn't interested in the story or the missions. It felt too much like a GTA clone.


Seem familiar?

As for Dead Rising, well sadly, I'm still downloading the demo, but already I've heard great things about it. I'm a fan of Dawn of the Dead, and this game looks like its going to capture the unique situation portrayed in the film perfectly. I really respect Capcom as a Developer, and I just know that they're going to do a good job with this game...hopefully. The only thing that really annoys me is the fact that I'll have to wait till next month to get my hands on it since I live in the UK!


Better than lifting weights?

Wow...just wow. What we've seen at the Conferences this year has been truly Next-Gen.

Let's start with SONY.
Now the SONY Conference started almost an hour late this year, probably due to technical difficulties.The demos of the PS3 launch titles were a little...boring! I almost fell asleep watching the Gran Turismo demo! However, I woke up instantly when I heard the name Metal Gear Solid. I think I speak for everyone when I say the MGS4 trailer was the best part of the SONY Conference. We were seeing Snake and Raiden as we had never seen them before, it was truly mind-blowing. The demo of Resistance: Fall of Man was pretty intriguing, but it just seemed like everything at the SONY Conference had all been done before. It just didn't seem groundbreaking but it still looked quite good. Even the 'new' controller didn't 'wow' the audience that much (most likely because we had already seen the motion sensor idea with the Wii Controller). The pricing for the PS3 didn't seem to appeal to anyone, and who could blame them? The price for both versions seemed to be asking too much.
Overall, the SONY Conference didn't leave any lasting effect on me.

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Now what about the Nintendo Conference?
Well, if you've seen the 'Grand Opening', you'll know why I was so impressed. The Nintendo Conference was the opposite of the rather dull SONY Conference. We saw the Wii Controller in action with one the the most anticipated games of the year, The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess. Seeing how the Wii Controller worked with the games, and how clever the configuration was, I immediately said to myself, "I've got to get one of those!". Nintendo had a good explanation for changing the name of their Next-Gen console to Wii, so I don't think it will be long before everyone gets used to it.

Nintendo were making the point that they've not all about amazing graphics like the other Next-Gen consoles, they're about innovation, and at their Conference they proved that.

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Now finally, Microsoft.
It wasn't as good as the Nintendo Conference but it was without a doubt, better than the SONY Conference. Microsoft didn't bore us too much with facts and figures, they just wanted to show us what they have planned for the future. Bill Gates himself showed off how Windows Vista on PCs and Mobile phones (with a Windows operating system) could communicate with the Xbox 360. When you actually saw it in action, it looked incredible. There were some BIG surprises, with the next GTA available on the Xbox 360 next year and Forza Motorsport 2 and Fable 2 in production. But the biggest surprise of all was left to the very end when we saw what will most likely be the highlight of this year's E3....the HALO 3 Announcement trailer. I never expected to see such a spectacular trailer, it was absolutely amazing.

Microsoft proved the Xbox 360 has so much potential, and that should give gamers a reason to consider purchasing one.

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I can't wait to see more of all three consoles later on in this year, and I also can't wait to see who will be the most popular this Christmas!

Well, its May and that can mean only one thing...E3.
Quite simply, one of the most exciting events for any gamer, E3 is the time when we're going to see what games we can look forward to this year.

We're in for a BIG treat this year, with titles like HALO 3, Metal Gear Solid 4 and The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess making an appearance, aswell as what SONY, Microsoft and Nintendo have planned for their Next-Gen consoles. I'm very eager to see more of Too Human and Prey, but I have to admit that I'm most looking forward to seeing HALO 3. How can you not be excited about HALO 3?

Will Microsoft surprise us with a new piece of hardware or a new Xbox Live feature as a way of convincing gamers that the Xbox 360 is the 'must-have' Next-Gen console? Or will they be overshadowed by SONY and Nintendo?
Online gaming seems to be the most popular thing nowadays, so its no surprise that SONY is creating their own online service similar to Xbox Live for the PS3, but I doubt it will be as successful as Xbox Live. At the end of the day, I think Nintendo will be the star of the show with their unique controller, however I doubt their Next-Gen console's name will be as popular...