Forza Motorsport 3

I finally got to sit down and play this over this weekend. I have previously played both Forza games (the first one being on the original XBOX) and was really looking forward to this one.

I used to play Grand Turismo and ever since Forza 2 I simply don't understand all the hype around GT. Forza 2 was already better than of the previous GT games and this version is simply an update that makes it the best racing game ever (so far that is). Obviously the graphics are simply stunning (something we've all been spoiled with on both the HD patforms). The thing that this has though (aside from A LOT of cars)is the simple playability. You are in complete control how much detail you want to get into... do you want to spend hours painting your car? no problem. Do you want to spend hours tuning your car? no problem. Or do you simply want to race? again, single, double, or even double split screen... no problem.

There are many events to choose from. You usually want to sign up for a World Championship, but those don't happen that often so you sign up for sub-championships in between to keep you busy (and to get more points). I love how easy it is to acquire new cars and new upgrades. I also love the amount of drivers assistance you can have. With fewer enabled you earn more points each time you race, but sometimes controlling some of these cars is close to impossible without all the electronics turned on.

This on is a MUST HAVE for any driving enthusiast and I would even go as far as to say it's a system seller. For anyone who's been waiting for GT on PS3... forget about it. Pick up an Xbox360 just for this game (they have a great combo pack available) and you'll look back. This is the next level of driving and what I find difficult is to figure out what they can improve in the next game (except for the obvious like updated cars, more tracks) but the framework is as close to perfect for a driving game that I've ever seen (or played).

5/5 stars!

MotoGP '07

Well I've been waiting for this game ever since I heard about it at the beginning of the year. I am a huge motorcycle and MotoGP fan and was very happy to hear the THQ was going to update the great MotoGP 06 game that they released last year.

The first thing you'll notice is that all the menu graphics have teen changed. And for the most part it looks much better. I love how there is an aerial view of the track as it is loading... but you'll also notice new accomplishments listed as well. THQ have added such things as "Clean Lap" "Clean Race" "Target Laptime" and "Target Speed". These do add to the game and make it more fun.

Now lets talk about the graphics in the game... they added cut scenes that now include grip positioning (with team members and umbrella girls present), team helping you out as you leave your garage, and podium scene as well. Nice touches... does nothing for gameplay.

In game graphics have improved (as difficult as that is to imagine) especially the track graphics... you can see MUCH more detail around now, from waiving flags to people, helicopters and other things. The track looks great. The riders do as well, though they looked really good in MotoGP 06, but it does look really really good.

Now the most important part... the gameplay. This is the area that was MOST changed... and most improved. Yes you heard me right... VERY improved. So what could they do? Well for one the bikes "feel" much lighter. They are much more flickable (I keep over steering the corners still) and, as in real life, they feel smaller and faster. The lean angles have also increased and overall the sense of speed is much better than the last game. The addition of the bike moving around is also wonderful. It really feels like you are pushing to the limit when the whole thing gets sideways. Though this is still an arcade experience (not simulator) you can increase the level of realism in the settings making it much more difficult to go into a corner hot, lean over and push hard on the breaks without crashing... good, very good. The wiggling of the bike great, it really feels like it's moving when you push it too hard. The only time it really wiggles is when you are at full lean and push hard on the gas... though the bikes obviously have steering control built in and that usually keeps you from high siding (unless you touch the grass... then you have a problem... again, GOOD).

It's fun to see how the game has progressed over the years and this is the best version yet. If you have MotoGP 06 you'll want this one... but be warned... once you start to play MotoGP 07 you won't go back to 06. Funny enough, after you get used to the new 07 physics... the 06 bikes feel like SUVs going around the track. Just not very flickable and not as fun.

The online play is as good as in the last game and overall I must say I love this new version and highly recommend it.

Now for some things that need to appear in next years (hopefully there will be a next year) version:

-Different Tyres (Bridgestone, Michelin, Dunlop)

-Tyre management (the tyres need to get used up during the race. SBK 07 does this VERY well)

- Bike Damage (if you crash the bike should feel more difficult to ride, and you should have the ability to set the damage so that if you crash hard enough, or often enough, you have to retire, again SBK 07 does this very well)

-Rider Health (again, if you crash too much or too hard, the rider should be able to get hurt and therefore retire)

-Gear manufactures (why can't you get the real gear into this game as well????)

-The ability to add new paint jobs, and riders during the season. This should be downloadable content as there is no way to forsee when a team decides to change riders or have a special colour for a race.

That's it for now...

4.5 out of 5 starts

Gears of War (Xbox 360)

Well this review is a bit late as what more can be said about Gears of War? It IS the first true system seller for the Xbox 360 and rightfully so. Epic Games has done an amazing job bringing this top shooter to the Xbox 360 which no other system will get. The graphics are simply put, fabulous! I mean breathtaking... you will be blown away.

This is one of those games that once you start playing you say "wow" as your mouth stays open while you enjoy level after level of hellishly fun shooter action.

You are part of a commando team sometime in the future, after the Earth has been overrun but oversized cockroaches and other devilish looking beasts. All they want is one thing, to kill you... so your mission is simple, kill them. The thing that this game does so well is create an amazing atmosphere from beginning to end, submerging you in this hell hole of a future... and loving every minute of it. It actually gets your blood flowing and adrenaline going while you play, that's how much fun it is.

The game play is second to none, the game was obviously designed from the beginning with the Xbox 360 controller in mind. You run into a room and the first thing you do is find a hiding place from which you will peak out and shoot the enemy, and hiding again while the enemy tries to return the bulletfest you just unleased at it. Good thing too since you do have to reload at some point. The weapons are massive, a good selection, not complicated... the level design is first rate... the whole game is simply a master piece and EVERY Xbox 360 owner should have this game... no questions asked. It's THAT good!

5/5 Stars

Lost Planet (Xbox 360)

Lost Planet is a Capcom game which was first shown at last years E3 (and was released as a demo on Xbox Live). It was released earlier this year and has sold very well. The reason for this is that it is a very good 3rd person shooter. The story takes place on a distant planet... yes an icy planet, where you must battle aliens, big ugly aliens, VERY big and VERY ugly aliens.

The atmosphere of the game is setup very well. The cold environment is well made. As you walk around in the snow (snow up to your knees) you leave a trail behind. As you kill enemies you pick up power cells (which help your life).

The story is a little weak, but typical anime kind of thing. You wake up, don't remember much, you have some new technology installed on your arm, your not sure what it does but it makes you stronger... blah blah blah.

The graphics are VERY VERY good in this game, the enemies are well drawn, some of the bigger enemies are HUGE and very impressive looking. Controls are well done, very responsive and the game overall feels like it's made for the controller. I loved the demo and the game didn not disappoint me. The multi-player is also great and is easy to use. Xbox Live is a class act multi-player network.

4/5 Stars

PGR 4 now features motorcycles as well!

Well I've always been a fan of Project Gotham Racing (even back from the days it was Metropolis Street Racing on the Sega Dreamcast), and when PGR 4 was announced I was very excited.

Graphics have been improved, physics have been improved... now they were going to add weather affects as well based on actual weather reports (PGR 4 is going to connect to the weather channel and download the latest weather effects from the area you are racing) VERY VERY cool... but... that wasn't enough. So they made the game EVEN better... how so? Easy, you can now select from Motorcycles or Cars in the game. And, as with the cars being real cars, the bikes are real bike... looks like Honda, Agusta and others will now be a part of the game. You will also be able to race motorcycles and cars at once... very cool. I hope they will also allow to modify the bikes allowing for new wheels, forks, springs, etc.

So as much as I love Forza 2 I have a feeling this might be my new favourite, especially if they can retain the 60 fps that Forza 2 has achieved (and MotoGP 07 looks to have problems with).

Looking forward to this one... Here is a gallery of the latest pics of PGR 4 coming to Xbox 360 this fall.

Xbox 360 and PS3... not powerful enough???

This is a wonderful article I found on insomnia.ac about why the Xbox 360 and PS3 are just not powerful enough and how both Microsoft and Sony have gone down the wrong path... the Marketing path. I would easily compare this to the AMD/Intel/Apple (RISK CPU) days when everyone was in the pissing game of who has the fastest (Mhz rating) CPU because that somehow "automatically" gave them a lead. That is until Intel hit the 3Ghz barrier and then the game changed.

I think Alex Kierkegaard (who wrote the Xbox 360/ PS3 article) has made some excellent points. He IS in fact talking about what few know... and even fewer are able to discuss. It's such a political game now with the game companies that no one can really say what they think afraid of insulting them and hurting any sort of relationship they might have with them. More recently articles have popped up saying that the Xbox 360 is much easier to program for then the PS3... and if you read those its clear how much everyone is holding back, being so very very careful as to what they say. It's sad really...

So I'm very happy that people like Alex are out there, and I hope they continue to spread the truth. I don't mind that Microsoft and Sony have chosen this path (it is their decision to make after all) but notice how much better Nintendo is doing going down a completely different road... interesting isn't it... maybe resolution isn't the goal the big boys should be going after, even if Marketing tells them to. I do hope the next console generation will focus almost entirely on graphic detail since the resolutions will be the same (HD). I guess time will tell.

Xbox 360 Elite Hardware Review

Here is a great review of the Xbox 360 that just came out on EuroGamer. It goes through some good comparisons and short comings. Essentially there are no big surprises here. I won't even consider upgrading my Xbox 360 until the the new 65nm revision of the PowerPC CPU is out (and even then, ONLY if it is MUCH quieter and has a MUCH smaller power supply, I wouldn't mind the HDDVD to be built in, and slot loading too).