Holiday Buying Guide 2005 Continued..

Xbox and Xbox 360

Microsoft was at the forefront of a lot of hype this year due to the launch of the company's Xbox 360, which officially begins the next generation of video games. Despite some reported hardware problems which Microsoft seems to be dealing with quite efficiently, the Xbox 360 got quite a positive reaction for being a well thought through system with a particularly good online component and a lot of potential. The main problem is simply that it's just about impossible to find the thing. Microsoft's attempts at a sort-of-simultaneous worldwide launch have left both North America and Europe needing units badly. If these supply issues can be worked out, however, the system looks to do quite well.

But first, the Xbox. There were plenty of releases this year despite the incoming 360, and current Xbox owners should be reassured to know that at least for the immediate next couple months there are just as many, if not more, Xbox releases as Xbox 360 releases. The system still has some legs. Here are some gift-worthy titles that popped up this year.

Xbox

Ninja Gaiden Black
Developer: Team NINJA
Publisher: Tecmo
Team NINJA's unforgiving ninja action game was one of the Xbox's showcase titles in 2004, and in addition to being a player favorite it was also renowned for being very, very difficult. There were even free downloadable "expansions" over Xbox Live that offered even further challenge. So, Team NINJA decided to follow all of this up with a package collecting all the material released for that game and then making it even more difficult. That package is Ninja Gaiden Black, and it's available for a rather reasonable price ($29.99 retail), making it an easy buy for somebody who has yet to be manhandled by Ninja Gaiden but still attractive to those who managed to master the game in its original form.

Far Cry Instincts
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Far Cry was one of last year's best PC first person shooters (and one of my overall favorites in recent years), and somewhat surprisingly it seems to have passed the transition to the console world with flying colors. Far Cry Instincts, developed by Ubisoft Montreal in conjunction with original developer CryTek, differs in certain ways from its PC cousin. There's less of the completely free-roaming aspect of the original, but the game compensates by slowly putting more emphasis on direct combat. Far Cry Instincts also features what must be the best FPS map editor you can get on consoles, with a community that's produced some pretty impressive creations.

Forza Motorsport
Developer: Microsoft Game Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Forza Motorsport is basically Microsoft Game Studios' answer to Gran Turismo. Unlike many other Xbox racers, this game builds its reputation on getting all the fiddly technical bits right, and it won universal acclaim for its effort. The game is playable over Live, which is always a plus, and is a pretty complete package for anyone who prizes realism over, uh, arcadism in racing games.

Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict
Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Midway
Unreal Championship 2 is probably the best console iteration of Unreal yet, and if nothing else it definitely brings some new gameplay to the table. While a first person shooter at its core, the game has an extensive third player mode for use with hand to hand fighting. Rather than melee attacks being relegated to pistol whips, the game has a full on fighting system. The third person perspective can be used for shooting as well, but I preferred to drop back into good old FPS for that. UC2 was published by Midway, and in something of a bizarre crossover, Mortal Kombat character Raiden makes an appearance in the game as an enemy and unlockable player character. Go figure. Try this if you're looking for a fresh take on the genre.

Burnout Revenge
Developer: Criterion
Publisher: EA Games
Burnout Revenge is a multiplatform title, but I'm including it here because of the convenience of playing it over Xbox Live. If you don't have an Xbox, get it on PS2. Burnout Revenge takes Criterion's excellent crash-happy racing series and improves on it even more. Racing is a blast in, feeling more like a 200 mile per hour brawl on wheels than a typical "race." One is as aggressive as possible in Burnout. Then, of course, there's the signature Crash Mode, which has the player orchestrate traffic pileups of wonderfully destructive proportions in an attempt to cause the most amount of damage. If you're looking for a less-realistic racer that'll help you let off some steam, Burnout Revenge is all you need.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath
Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
Publisher: EA Games
Series creator Lorne Lanning's favorite Oddworld game is Stranger's Wrath, released at the beginning of this year, and at this point it looks like it might be the last one given developer Oddworld Inhabitants' move away from the games industry. Don't worry about giving this to somebody who isn't familiar with the prior games; this game makes a pretty clean break. Unlike its adventure ancestors, Stranger's Wrath is a shooter with an interesting twist: you make use of what is quite literally "live ammo," small creatures you load into your weapons. This provides for all sorts of interesting combinations, as different creatures have attributes that change the effect of your weapons. Despite great critical reaction, this game was very overlooked; consider giving it a shot.

Xbox 360

Xbox 360 Premium System
Manufacturer: Microsoft
If you want to play Xbox 360 games, you'll unfortunately need to actually track down an Xbox 360. Them's the breaks! At this point, that may or may not be possible to achieve by the end of the year depending on if Microsoft's mysterious supply reinforcements finally make their appearance, but if you do manage to find a store with some 'boxes, do your best to secure a Premium System. That model will run you $399, whereas the hard drive-less Core System is only $299. You'll regret trying to save some money if you go for the latter, however, when you realize that you'll need a $40 memory card to save your games anyway, and if you start downloading demos and trailers or games from Xbox Live Arcade you're going to need more storage--at which point it's $100 for a hard drive.

Kameo: Elements of Power
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Despite having to overlook a few minor art direction issues, Rare's Kameo: Elements of Power has shaped up to be my favorite Xbox 360 launch title. As the female elf Kameo, the player has the ability to acquire various animal forms, each with their own unique abilities. For example, an armadillo form named Major Ruin encases Kameo in a huge spiky ball that crushes her enemies and launches off of ramps. Due to the constant shifting of powers with the various forms, the game keeps its not overly complex gameplay from becoming tired.

Condemned: Criminal Origins
Developer: Monolith
Publisher: Sega
Condemned will be heading to PCs eventually, but for now it's exclusive to Microsoft's machine. Developer Monolith seems pretty into the whole suspense/horror shooter thing recently. Following up on the very well-received F.E.A.R. for PC, the studio has delivered this interesting take on the genre. This one's less of a first person shooter per se, though; in addition to shooting there's a significant close combat system making use of a variety of blunt found weapons. The game has received high marks for its creepy atmosphere and interesting gameplay, and it's definitely one of the more unique titles to launch with the Xbox 360.

Perfect Dark Zero
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Perfect Dark Zero, Rare's prequel to its N64 hit Perfect Dark, has been well reviewed, but many--myself included--have less than glowing things to say about the game's single player campaign. In fact, the game has its share of shortcomings in various areas. That said, there's a strong multiplayer component, with a good variety of gametyppresees and weapons, and solid and compelling gameplay. It could stand to have a few more maps, but hopefully Rare plans to deliver those through Live eventually. All in all, if you're looking for an engrossing single player experience you might be better served elsewhere, but if you just want to battle online this is where most of the shooting action on Live currently resides.

Project Gotham Racing 3
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
The third title in Bizarre Creations' vaunted racing franchise was one of the launch titles Microsoft was most banking on, and it doesn't seem to have disappointed. The game has received universal praise for its great visuals, exhilerating sense of speed, and solid online component featuring the GothamTV system allowing for users to watch specific races live around the world. PGR3 is definitely considered one of Microsoft's stronger launch offerings.

Xbox Live Arcade
Developer: Various
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
I may as well admit it: I've spent way more time on the various Xbox Live Arcade titles than I have with any of the actual retail launch games. With classics like Gauntlet and new shoot-em-ups like Bizarre Creations' Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved only $5 a pop, it's hard to turn them down. Oh, and this stuff is fun, not just cheap. Last week I played Smash TV with a fellow Shacker for hours over Live, and I recommend that to anyone. Every game has a free downloadable demo too, so you can always feel confident about where those five bucks are going. New games are being added all the time, too. The classic Robotron 2084 arrives one of these days, and a few independent developers are making use of the system as an alternative delivery method for their games.

Continue to the next page for the GameCube!

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