What do you expect out of a great RPG? Do you want the freedom to choose your own path, to be the hero or villain? Or do you simply want an unforgettable story? Since Bioware entered the video game scene with Star Wars: Knights of the Old republic, Bioware's name is synonymous with all of these things. When Mass Effect hit the shelves in 2007 players expected nothing less than an unforgettable choice based RPG for the "Next Generation" Xbox 360, and Bioware did not disappoint.

  Mass Effect like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has to do with futuristic space travel and mingling with alien life forms, but that's where the story similarities end. You begin your adventure by creating your Commander Shepard, making the character male or female, picking one of six military classes (either Engineer, Adept, Soldier, Infiltrator, Sentinel, and Vanguard) which I'll go into more detail later, and finally customizing your appearance. These character customizations are offered in many RPG genre games, but Mass Effect takes it one step further by allowing the player to pick his or hers story background. This adds depth and uniqueness to the game, insuring that each player's Shepard will be that more original. From there, the rest of your character's fate is up to you. You'll be in control of every action and choice Shepard will face, that includes being good or evil.

  Unlike many traditional RPGs, Mass Effect's combat flows like an action based game. Players will shoot, use cover, and give command to party members. The action flows smoothly and is often intense, but depending on which class you decided to play as will force each player to use different approaches on how they fight. Engineers for example can hack and disrupt many of the mechanical enemies that you'll face, but they can only use light armor and pistols. Soldiers on the other hand use any weapon available, and can wear heavy armor to outlast their opponents. This allows Mass Effect to adapt perfectly for each individual's play style, and returning players will have a new game experience each time they create a new character. Mass Effect also allows gamers to advance through the story at their own speed. Since you are in control of Shepard's ship, the Normandy, you can go anywhere in the galaxy as you please. If you aren't ready to advance the next part of the core story, feel free to do some exploration or side quests. You will probably notice that many of the planets you can land on look alike, despite the fact some are supposedly made of ice or molten rock. They're all mountain ranges, and void of any real distinguishing features. Its on these planets you will scan rare minerals, find artifacts, and recover downed space probes by engaging the proper button sequence when prompted. Overall, there is plenty to explore but the constant repetition of scanning objects can be a bit redundant. Progressing through the main story and side quests is much more entertaining.

  Mass Effect's main story line is exactly what you would expect from Bioware. I will not go into too much detail, as stories are up to each player to uncover, however I will say it is top notch. For most RPG fans, the story is what brings them back time and time again to their favorite games. With the mix of excellent voice work and great plot, I'm sure Mass Effect will be one of those favorites.

  One of the features that peaked a lot of gamer's interest was Mass Effect's graphics. Mass Effect is easily one of the best looking games on the Xbox 360. Few games have the attention to detail as Mass Effect, especially when it comes to in-game characters. The only problem that I've experienced is that on some occasions textures take a few seconds to calibrate themselves, especially after a loading period, but they should reappear quickly. A minor flaw, and one that's easily overcome by installing the game onto your 360's hard drive.

  Few games give such freedom to the player such as Mass Effect. Although some might not feel it's the panicle of choice based perfection like Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect isn't a slouch by any means. No Xbox 360 owner should not be without this game, and it deserves to be replayed again and again.

Written by: RB

Over and Out

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  For many years, most good 007 games have been first person shooters and there isn't a problem with that. James Bond is just one of those characters that can be easily adapted for the first person, and lets every kid on the block pretend they're an agent under fire. But what if, just what if, we had a game where James was in the third person and voiced by Pierce Brosnan? Wouldn't that be Everything or Nothing!?

  Alright, that's enough of the tacky segues I promise. In February of 2004, EA games decided to give the gaming community a glance of 007 himself in Everything or Nothing. In a refreshing twist to the genre, this game would be featured in the third person instead of the typical first person perspective. At the time many felt Everything or Nothing could easily turn out like Tomorrow Never Dies for Ps1, which I hope I don't need to remind you all of that piece of trash. Anyway, luckily for us that was not the case. EA successfully transferred James Bond into a new perspective, and was able to add plenty of new game elements to an otherwise redundant shooter.

  One of the biggest elements that was added to Everything or Nothing was the chance to effectively use stealth. Now I know there are plenty of stealth based games out on the market, Splinter Cell, the Metal Gear Series, and to tell the truth Everything or Nothing doesn't come close to their level of sneakiness. But, now that Bond has some stealth kills to add to his arsenal it just makes the player feel that much closer to being an international spy. If trying to stealth your way through a level isn't your thing, you can also go the more straight forward approach and just blow away anyone who wanders into your sights. There is a large range of weapons for people to choice from, as there always are in a Bond game, and when the bullets fly the game play isn't ground breaking by any means. Another cool feature added into Everything or Nothing is the chance to use "Bond Moves". Bond moves are pretty much self explanatory, they're moves you'd see James use if this were a movie. They're triggered by engaging different things on each level, and overall are very clever.

  Just because 007 usually works alone (hot lady friends and Q aside), that doesn't mean you have to. Everything or Nothing offers a Co-op Multiplayer mode, that has it own unique side story. Although you can't play as Bond himself, you can pick from 4 non-007 status agents. The Co-op mode offers everything the main game does in terms of action, and I have to say its very satisfying see a friend stealthily taking care of an enemy that you might have missed. The Co-op missions are very entertaining, and on occasion you might even get a glimpse of Bond in action.

  Speaking of Bond in action, I mention before Pierce Brosnan does 007's voice work, and he does them well. Brosnan isn't the only star lending their voice for the cause however. Everything or Nothing was designed to act a Bond film, and was able to attract talents such as Heidi Klum, Judi Dench, John Cleese, and Willem Dafoe as lead characters. Everything of Nothing even brought back Richard Kiel's image as Jaws, and it was satisfying to fight old metal mouth again. The voice work is solid, although at times it sounds like Willem Dafoe is way to far away from the microphone. Character's in game likenesses are also outstanding. Every character looks as they should, which adds a deeper cinematic feel to Everything or Nothing. The game's story shouldn't be much of a surprise to people either. Dangerous villain plotting against good, and old 007 has to save the day. Other than that, I won't go into too much detail. If you want to find out more about the story, well you'll just have to play it for yourself.

  Ever since Goldeneye was released for Nintendo 64, we have seen an onslaught of Bond inspired games. Some are better than others, but many just leave us wanting more. Luckily, EA games provided us with a chance to see Bond in a whole new light and reinvigorated our dreams to be an agent with 00 status. Although nothing about this game is ground breaking, or overly original, Everything or Nothing is an excellent shooter with a touch of stealth.

Written by: RB

Over and Out

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            The original Castlevania for the Nintendo Entertainment system, released in 1987, was a terrific, taut thriller of a game. It had a wild cast of horror's favorite monsters: mummies, Frankenstein's Monster, the hunchback Igor, bats, and of course, vampires. You play the role of Simon Belmont, the legendary vampire slayer, equipped with his trusty whip known as the Vampire Killer.

            This is certainly one of the true classic games for the NES; one of many great titles made during that era by acclaimed game studio Konami. What makes it so classic is its atmosphere of Count Dracula's infamous castle and its frightening inhabitants. Simon Belmont is also an awesome protagonist, who fearless plunges into the castle, as epitomized by the brief opening cinematic.

            It may not be the longest game, but it is notoriously known to have an intense difficulty. Even after twenty plus years from its original release on the system, the game is still quite a challenge, but definitely not at all a chore - it is fun! Also, it is worth noting that after some effort and a few attempts, you'll feel at one with Mr. Belmont and his whip, as you too will fearlessly venture through the castles' evil halls.

            Of course, with "challenge" comes some frustration. Some of the enemies' patterns are often tough to master (i.e. Medusa heads and the hunchbacks that crawl and jump wildly). Definitively, the biggest hindrance in the game is when Simon gets hit. He gets blown backwards or forwards depending on what side you were struck, and this too often can lead to your premature death. You could be in perfect health, but fail to time an upsweep of a Medusa head while standing moderately close to a pit, and it's over. Though, there are special weapons that can help deter this problem like the stopwatch, and they can often prove critical to success.

            With those critiques aside, Castlevania is a fantastic game. It was surely one of the early, more epic games for the then-youthful NES, and also one of its enduring classics.

-Kurt L.

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 Over the years, gamers have played countless first person shooters. The first person shooter is a staple in the action genre, and when done successfully will allow each player to feel even more involved with a game then any other gaming perspective out on the market. No game does this better than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

  Any fan of the Call of Duty franchise will no doubt know that every Call of Duty to date has been based in the World War II era. There isn't anything wrong with that, since every Call of Duty to date is a stellar example of what a first person shooter can be, but how many WWII games can we honestly play without repeating key battles? Luckily, Activision's Infinity Ward has decided to move on from the Nazi slaughter and bring us back into the present with Modern Warfare. This is a refreshing twist to the Call of Duty franchise, one possibly their best addition to date.

  As Modern Warfare's title states, its all about present day war. You'll find yourself playing the perspective as a British SAS operative, and a US Marine. The intermingling stories work well in establishing an all to familiar war with the Middle East, while allowing Infinity Ward to take some liberties and develop an original story with unique events. This makes for game play that feels like its right out of the news reels, with a twist of Hollywood storytelling and bravado. Don't get me wrong, Modern Warfare doesn't glorify war by any means. In fact its quite the opposite. By the end of the game, you'll leave with the experience that war is truly hell...especially if you've been playing on the toughest difficulty setting.

  Call of Duty veterans may feel the shell shock coming from the WWII front, and jumping into a modern battlefield. Although the WWII settings were by no means a piece of cake to beat, Modern Warfare gives a very realistic interpretation on how war has evolved. Weapons are more devastating, bullets can easily penetrate objects and cover that you'd expect a bullet would be able to pass through, enemy A.I. has greatly improved although at times they spawn continuously until you progress deeper into a level, and at times even your surroundings play a role in how a fight will progress. An excellent example of this is one of the earliest missions that takes place on a freighter sailing in violent seas. You'll have to compensate for the strong currents bashing the ship around like a toy if you want to shoot accurately. A small feature, but one that adds a sense of realism that few games have ever come close to capturing. Another key feature to Modern Warfare is your teammates artificial intelligence. Like most Call of Duties, you don't control your allies. Instead they roam freely throughout the battlefield in the direction of your next objective. In previous Call of Duty games, this lead to many of buddies untimely end as that mindlessly ran straight into enemy fire. This is not the case in Modern Warfare. More often than not, your brother's in arms will out perform the player and come to your aid. They are a true depiction of their real life military counterparts, and if we were in direct control of their actions we'd probably just end up getting ourselves killed. Each unplayable character is also unique in personality, which adds another measure of depth that greatly pays off in the overall gaming experience. They'll watch your back, and you'll watch theirs.

  For those of you who don't trust artificial intelligence, and want nothing more than to bring their best friends into the foxhole with them, Modern Warfare also features an excellent multiplayer mode. You can play through the campaign mode, or hook up to the internet for some ranked multiplayer mayhem with countless game modes to choose from. With each victory, you'll earn experience that will allow you to level up and gain new and better perks to help you survive the multiplayer experience. There are countless hours of game play to enjoy with your friends, and I doubt people will get tired of Modern Warfare's multiplayer any time soon.

  Modern Warfare is easily the most advance first person shooter to date. With a stellar single player mode, intense multiplayer, realistic game play, and excellent graphics this is game that truly delivers an unforgettable gaming experience. Whether is for ps3, Xbox 360, or PC any platform you own Modern Warfare is a must for any collection.

Written by: RB

Over and Out

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  The Nintendo Gamecube isn't known for having a ton of smash hits. In the early consol wars between Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, the Gamecube sadly came in a distant last. That doesn't mean it was a terrible system by any means, there just wasn't a large variety of games geared towards an older audience. However, one remake in particular possibly became the best game on the system all thanks to an all too familiar hero.

  When I first found out that Metal Gear Solid was being remade, I jumped for joy. Finally, my favorite game of all time was going to be remastered with modern graphics, and game play mechanics taken right out of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. It sounded too good to be true, and then I learned it was going to be on the Gamecube. I'll admit, at first I had my reservations. As far as I'm concerned, Solid Snake was a Sony guy even though he originally debuted to the US market on the NES. With my bias set aside, when Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes released there was no chance I was going to pass it up. It was everything I thought it was going to be, and that was pretty awesome.

  As far as Twin Snakes goes, it is a true remake of Metal Gear Solid. Setting is the same, map layouts are identical, and even roaming guards are in the locations we remember on the Sony Playstation. As I mention before the only elements that were revamped are the graphics and game mechanics, and both are stunning. Some of the new mechanics such as shooting in first person, rolling dives, hanging from ledges, hiding the guards you take out are all pulled right out the Playstation 2 games. These elements as a whole add a depth of realism that was missing in the original version, and are excellent to have at your disposal. For those who want to collect as many items as possible, holding up wandering guards for their dog tags has also made its return in Twin Snakes. Collecting these tags will add more unlockables for players to tinker around with, and adds a fun challenge. Even Snake's movement while sneaking around seems completely realistic, however compared to the fluidity of the cut scenes they come up a little short. One of the biggest flaws to Twin Snakes however is the control mechanics. Don't get me wrong, the game handles tightly for the most part, but its obvious that Metal Gear Solid was not intended for the Gamecube Controller. One frequent annoyance, although minor, is when Solid Snake attempts to choke an unsuspecting guard by using the A button. On occasion, instead of just choking the guard, he will flip the guard over his shoulder. This could be problematic when trying to keep a low profile, and be as stealthy as possible. Also pausing the game, and using codec isn't as simple as it should be. Having to use a combination of Start A, or Start B to accomplish these things can annoying. That just fuels my argument that Metal Gear Solid is a franchise best kept to the Sony consoles when the choice is available.

  Despite what most people think, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes wasn't directed by the franchises creator, Hideo Kojima. Although Kojima had his eye on the project, The Twin Snakes was actually directed by Kojima's go to man Ryuhei Kitamura. From the get go, you'll notice a distinct difference in their production styles. The original Metal Gear Solid under Kojima's care had a grittier, and dare I say less flashy presentation. Everything felt raw, but completely realistic. Kitamura on the other hand has an eye for flare. Solid Snake performs more matrix-like flips and bullet dodges during cut scenes, and many of the visuals seem a bit over the top. That is by no means a bad thing, but hardcore fans of the original tend to like Snake staying on the ground instead of flipping around like Spider-Man. Every voice over done in the game was also redone. The Twin Snakes brought back the majority of the cast from the Playstation smash hit, for this new adaptation of the classic. Overall, most of the voice work is just as good as the were the first time around. Unfortunately, some might say that you just can't recapture the essence of the original no matter how hard you try. I tend to agree with that assumption, but Twin Snakes offers voice talent that many games don't even come close to comparing too.

  Metal Gear Solid is one of those franchises that are completely timeless no matter how they are presented. When Solid Snake first graced the Playstation, he became an gaming icon to all nerds living in the United States. He's a rough and gruff character that never says die, and with Kojima's direction Metal Gear is the definitive stealth action game. Twin Snakes continues this legacy, although some might say doesn't live up to the original, it is easily better than many games out on the market today. Not to mention it gave us all a reason to run out and buy a Nintendo Gamecube, and with Twin Snakes it made it worth every penny.

Written by: RB

Over and Out

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