As a part of Summer of Arcade for Xbox 360, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair has been one of the long awaited titles I have been looking forward to. Being able to play an old school styled Castlevania game like Symphony of the Night and choosing one of six characters from the many different series just seems so appealing. I may not be one of the biggest fans of Castlevania but none the less I am one and have been since playing the very first Castlevania in arcades on the old cabinets. This game however just didn’t translate as well as I’d hope.

If you guys have followed the series before, there are many unique and stand out characters. In HoD you get to play as some of those characters again, such as Alucard, Soma Cruz, Jonathan Morris, Shanoa and Charlotte Aulin. Each with their own abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. It’s great to play as so many characters which means a lot of replay value, but the only problems that I see will be burning out Castlevania, and grinding levels to get certain items or souls that you want to get. With that said each character builds up with respective rare items to be found as a bonus.

Multiplayer online co-op has to be one of the best ideas in HoD. Team up with friends to tag team big labyrinths and even bigger bosses. There are good and bad things to online co-op however. If one person opens up a chest everyone obtains an item, of course everyone may not get the same item but this helps from everyone having to go into the same areas over. Also once you die it’s not automatically game over, you get to roam around the level as one of the bone throwing skeletons with a halo, and if you’re lucky enough you get to be revived by your teammate. The bad is that connecting to games isn’t the easiest thing to do. Many times I was either kicked, rooms weren’t able to connect, or rooms would just idle in the waiting for team menu screen. When I did find a co-op room that had a bunch of people ready to play it went along great.

Unfortunately there are only six levels, but the levels are vast, which introduces the zoom in and zoom out feature. Players can zoom in to single room display, 3x display and full map display. The zoom system gives you the ability to watch where your partners are on the map and where you can meet up with one another to battle through to the boss. Unfortunately there are areas on the map where you wont be able to reach unless you’re a certain character, or have a teammate to help you get to that area because of certain co-op switches or higher levels to get to. Also the higher the levels, the more challenging it gets. It’s unfathomable to think that you can solo this entire game alone, although it is very possible with the right equipment and a lot of time. I mean there are stages where bosses and traps can kill you with one shot, and enemies can stun you over and over again. This is all on normal mode though and after you complete the game the first time around hard mode is unlocked. This is where a larger variety of weapons and items can be obtained.

This game is fun to play, but only with other people online. Soloing HoD feels somewhat of a chore than a game, expect to die many times before beating a boss, many of the equipment menu stuff doesn’t make sense, when zooming the camera fully makes it look like a PS1 title and expect to farm alot through each level. If online multiplayer is not in your cards or your not a true Castlevania fan we’re not sure if its a great buy for $15, especially since the game does not support local multiplayer and we’re not sure why. Teaming up with friends and strangers alike is great, there are tons of things to enjoy in the online co-op mode. Also with downloadable content on the horizon expect to have more characters and more levels to come from the entire series of Castlevania.

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Alan Wake is one of the more unique games to be released on the Xbox 360 this year, and when the game was released in April anyone who bought the game new got an extra code to download free DLC in the form of a new “episode”. The episode is now available for download, titled “The Signal” the new chapter in the story follows Alan Wake right after the end of the last episode, and although not much is answered it is still nice to control Alan again as he searches for answers.

As the episode starts off with Alan as he begins to lose his footing in reality, and as the episode goes on you clearly realize that things are getting even more crazy this time. Without spoiling too much of the story Alan revisits several of the places he’s been to in the game but in a very different way. The story doesn’t add a whole lot to the overall story but it still adds a new dimension to it that fans of the game are going to want to see.

The gameplay is still the same as the orignal game except now there are more objects Alan can use in the enviornment to fight enemies. Other than the environment tools not much else is added to the gameplay, but then again the mechanics of the controls were solid.

Overall The Signal is a worthwhile DLC, if you bought the game new then you get it for free so there is no question of value. Even if you bought the game used then the DLC will be about $7 which is still worth it.

It’s hard not to get excited over the sequel to one of 2007’s biggest sleeper hits. Crackdown brought you a world full of crime and corruption, your job was to clean the mean streets and do it in style. A new studio by Ruffian Games under its belt and two years of development time plan to make this game bigger and badder then the last. However immediately when into the world of the newest game you’ll notice not much has changed aside new modes to play with. So does this game justify your attention and purchase?

The game is set 10 years after the first, there is now only one criminal organization by the name of Cell and the newly infestation called the freaks. The freaks are mutated people and creatures that try to beat you by shear numbers over anything else. Aside this there’s not much beyond what you’ll get from the beginning of the game. Not to say we expected a real story line since the games focus is on all the antics you can get into, while running around in the city. We’ve gotta say that nothing feels better then mowing down a bunch of the infected with a car, explosive, guns or brute strength. Players can become the ultimate bad ass in this game with some new abilities as well.

Of course one of the things more imminent is the return of orbs and this time have made some fun ways in collecting them with Renegade Orbs. There are still regular orbs to collect throughout the entire city. Gaining skills for driving and strength are still earned by taking down criminals, stunts or mowing enemies down. With Renegade Orbs however, they will simply do everything they can to run from you, so you have to be diligent when trying to catch them. The return of the agencies voice work is back as well, telling you everything you want and don’t want to here which is nice.

For those who played Crackdown 1 this sounds familiar and this alone can probably hold you over but there are a few new things beyond this. 16 player multiplayer makes it in with three modes which are deathmatch, team deathmatch, and Rocket Tag. While we’re glad to see multiplayer in a game like this its often really chaotic and guns tear you down pretty fast. What’s the point of being a Super Hero if you can get killed with a couple of shots or by one fist to the face? A big new feature and is pretty much the game changer, is the four player co-op for the single player campaign. It’s so much fun playing with four people preferably friends that you can get lost for hours doing mindless activities.

Some of the big issues in Crackdown 2 are what have plagued the first game. Targeting doesn’t work correctly, unclimbable buildings, camera issues, etc. The fighting mechanic and driving have gotten better though. Single player campaign only lends itself to a set of missions and side missions repeated throughout the city, with nothing really boasting a challenge. Graphically and sound wise the game hasn’t changed, everything looks the way you’d expect it too, except that its aged 10 years so some structures are torn down a bit.

We can’t help but feel disappointed with all the desolate area’s, glitches and essentially a city thats already been built but hasn’t seen much changes. However if your a collecting freak that would love getting all the orbs, enjoyed the first Crackdown or for sure have four friends to get in on the action then this is your game. Crackdown 2 will provide fun and a fresher experience for those who haven’t played the first one but for those expecting a true sequel, you probably won’t find it here.

Overall = 7.5

There are few games anywhere close to what Limbo is, a game with no dialog, no explanation, and nameless characters, however it manages to captivate players unlike any game before it. Almost all aspects of Limbo are unique in their own sense, here is a game that should be experienced by anyone who enjoys a mysterious adventure, relentless puzzle solving and an overall fun time.

Limbo starts with a nameless boy who is the game’s protagonist, he wakes up in the middle of the forest and begins to explore the shadowy land of the game. Minutes after beginning you realize that the world of Limbo is full of traps, obstacles, and enemies, and with no way of fighting back the player must use the enviornment to their advantage. The only two actions the boy can take is jump and grab, that might seem very limiting on paper but in action that’s all players will need aside from their problem solving abilities.

The main draw of Limbo is the fact that the entire game is one puzzle after another, these range from relatively easy to seemingly impossible. One thing that you can expect from Limbo is that you will get killed countless times yet it’s not frustrating, rather it makes players think about what they did wrong and how they can overcome the obstacle. Depending on your familiarity with puzzles you could find yourself stuck on one for sometime, tinkering with objects and experimenting with them, but when you do figure it out a sense of “AH-HA!” comes over you as if you deciphered some hidden code. The feeling of self accomplishment you get from the difficult puzzles is at a level far from those of a typical game.

Graphics in Limbo are purposely kept at a minimum which adds even more to the atmosphere, because of the black and white scheme that’s used players can focus more on the subtle effects the environment has to offer. The sounds in Limbo are even more subtle than the graphics, through out much of the game there is no music what so ever, however the few parts that it comes up in is used masterfully. During particularly tense moments in the game the music will begin to creep up but it never overpowers the situation, it adds just enough tension to push you to the edge of your seat as you make that jump over a pit or a buzz saw knowing you’re chances of making it are little.

If there is anything bad to say about Limbo it would be the length, players will be able get through the game in about 3 to 5 hours which is on the short side, considering there is nothing left to do once the game is done. Also there was little climax towards the end, in a game filled with tense puzzles the ones leading up to the finish line weren’t particularity exciting. The one other thing to mention about Limbo is that it’s very open ended as to the events of the game, there is little if anything explained so if you’re the type that absolutely needs a definite story and explanation you’re not going to get it here. However the vague story is what gives Limbo it’s heart, you’re free to interpret the events and even discuss with others you’re own theories. Limbo is a game that should be played by everyone, you will unlikely play anything like it for years, and it’s clear that the developers put in a lot of heart into the game and for that Limbo is a must buy.

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Ever since the popularity of Bioshock there has been several games that have been inspired by the huge hit a few years ago, Singularity is one of those games. A game that attempts to merge tried and trued shooter gameplay with a new time manipulation element Singularity had a lot promise since it was announced, but does the game reach the level of quality of Bioshock and other classic shooters?

The story of Singularity is that of an American solider investigating some mysterious events that took place in the Soviet Union, what events? In Singularity the communists had discovered a device that can manipulate time and create monsters, not exactly the most inspired story but it sets up the game. From the outset of the first level the player finds out that there is of course a big mystery that must be solved and an evil organization that must be stopped, overall the story isn’t necessarily bad but it simply feels bland and it never manages to get you into the happenings of the game.

Gameplay is where the game does better, the shooter aspect of the game is solid, with players having a whole range of guns that can be used, and upgraded. The main draw of Singularity however is the time manipulation aspect, at one point in the game players get the TMD which has the power to control little areas of time. For example players can use the TMD on a lock to age it into dust, likewise something that has fallen apart can be reforge by using the TMD to go back in time. The whole time manipulation aspect sounds good, but it really is never utilized to it’s full potential and becomes more of a gimmick, rather than a cool new type of weapon. Overall the gameplay isn’t necessarily bad but a lot was bet on the time travel aspect and although it works as it should it isn’t used as much as it should.

Graphics in Singularity are relatively good, there are a few cool looking lighting effects here or there but nothing to go crazy about, everything else however looks somewhat generic, the soldiers look like they could have been pulled from any shooter and creatures don’t fair much better. The graphics are just about average in all aspects.

Sound is also relatively average for a shooter, creatures sound generic and the tunes seem somewhat limited. One thing that does stand out is the voice acting however this is a hit or miss, some characters sound great while some, like the Russian characters sounds too exaggerated. The rest of the audio is pretty average as well.

Singularity’s main selling point is the element of time manipulation, that is the key difference between it and any other shooter on the market. Although the game does give players the ability to age enemies and objects but it soon becomes a bit of a novelty than a revolutionary element. The TMD’s uses are limited and force players to do what needs to be done rather than let player’s use the tool freely for themselves. The ingredients of a great shooter are all in the game however it seems that the recipe to utilize them fell a little short, what results is an average to slightly above average shooter. If you’re expecting a Bioshock level quality game then you won’t find it here, however if using time manipulation as a weapon sounds cool to you then by all means check Singularity out.

Overall = 7.6

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There are 120 teams in College Football’s FBS division, so it makes sense that the tag-line for NCAA Football 2011 is “120 Ways To Win.”  As many college football fans know, each team is unique in their play calling strategy as well as the formations and tempo of the game.  These variables are now available to the player to use at their disposal.

Everyone remembers the outstanding success of NCAA Football 2010.  With it’s Team Builder feature that managed to steal the spotlight from Madden still a driving force, NCAA Football returns for it’s latest installment.  This time, take your created team online in a Dynasty Mode.  Speaking of Dynasty Mode, this year’s Dynasty Mode also received a facelift, most notably, in the recruiting aspect.  Recruiting is done the same way as previous years, phone calls to prospective players, but this year, the topic of conversation is randomly selected for you; almost like Recruiting Roulette.  The option to change the topic is there, but is limited to 3 per call so you better hope your school is good enough in the topics he wants to discuss or you’ll never land that Blue Chip Quarterback.

Once the game begins, you get the feeling as if you are watching a game televised on ESPN.  With the trio of Brad Nessler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Erin Andrews on the sideline, NCAA gives a real life feel to the game as you play it.  To go along with the unique band performances for the top schools, NCAA 11 incorporates each school’s unique tunnel entrance: from the smoke in Miami to hitting the “Play Like A Champion Today” sign in Notre Dame.

The gameplay also received some upgrades.  Now the computer controlled players seem to “know” where to go and who to double team while creating a rushing lane.  The Locomotion System also is enhanced, with the ability to “stop on a dime” to change directions and a more natural looking running feel.

One nice addition to the franchise is the “One Button” mode; allowing the most inexperienced player enjoy the game of college football.  With the success of the All Play versions on the Wii, it will be interesting to see if this format becomes a trend in sports games.

Although some new features were added, nothing radical was added to this year’s title aside from the Online Dynasty with a Team Builder Team, the good things about previous titles were made better.  Visually the game looks phenomenal and the feel of the game is very natural.  The presentation paired with ESPN really make for an authentic feel and truly captures the spirit of college football.  Once again, EA scores a touchdown with NCAA Football 11.

Overall = 8.7

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First and foremost I think a big thank you is in order to High Moon Studios and Activision for bringing a Transformers game that I’ve always truly wanted. There have been many Transformer games prior to War For Cybertron, and unfortunately a majority of them have faired under par. However here comes the shocking news, this game is not just good but great, Transformer fans are in for a special treat this time around. The story for TWFC takes place a millenia before the first generation of Transformers that aired during the 1980’s or as a good majority of fans have come to known as G1. The civil war between Decepticons and Autobots rages on for Cybertron. TWFC tells the story of the events leading up to the end of Cybertron and how it all happened but its not like you didn’t know that already … A few back stories of certain characters are more flushed out in the game. Starscream’s defection from Autobots, Optimus becoming Optimus Prime etc.

At the start of the game we dive straight into battle with the Decepticon side of the war which eventually follows up with the Autobots’ side after. Players are able to start from either the beginning with Decepticons or jump ahead to the Autobot campaign and skip the entire Decepticon side to begin at a later time, although doing this will add only slight confusion to the story. At the start of each mission players are given the option to choose from 3 characters to play from. Players can choose to be either the leader or one of the two backup characters for the mission and when it begins you have the choice of freely transforming into your vehicle mode or autonomous (robot) mode almost anywhere in every stage. Just be sure not to transform off a ledge or accidentally get too excited in the game and transform when nothing is underneath you. Each character has a specific load out with different abilities to use, either giving offensive buffs, cloaking to become invisible, or the ability to put down a force field to block enemy fire. Secondary fire arm slots are always left empty for all characters, but early on in the stage weapons can be found within a weapon crate or off specific fallen enemies.

Ammo and Energon cubes are scattered throughout the levels. Sometimes they’re either plenty to come by or little to none, but they are sure to pop up eventually when in dire need. The single player missions are great, the story is robust and mission based gameplay gives players ambition to push on. Each level is vast, but the environment is controlled enough to push you through the level and keep the story progressing. Background and lighting throughout Cybertron are amazing, I was amazed by the level design and detail put into everything. From the rotating gears on each character, to blinding starlight in the distance, the designers were very thorough. Every character has their own specific personality and all the sounds throughout the game seem spot on. Lets not forget what was added to the single player campaign to make it that much worth wild, the option to play 3 player co-op online. Now you can get into the game with two other buddies and it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Players can also set up a matchmaking game for some co-op campaign play.

Multiplayer modes come in many different forms. Activision took a page right out of Call of Duty and shoved it directly into Transformer’s, with a little bit of revision of course. Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, Domination, Headquarters, and Sabotage are all packaged in with different names like Conquest for Domination, Count Down to Extinction for Sabotage, Power Struggle for Headquarters, and Code of Power being Capture the Flag. Within each game mode you level up one of four character classes which you can swap during the match. Scout, Scientist (Medic/Support), Leader, or Soldier run the gamut. They’re ranging from the lightest class with cloaking abilities, to the heavy class that’ll stand dish out the hurt.  Each character has a set of load outs, abilities, and kill streaks all different from one another. Customization of each class gives you the choice to change what payload to enter the battlefield, what abilities to have, which character and color of Transformer to go with. The third person view point within the game has some benefits like peeking around corners without giving yourself away, watching your back for cloaked enemies, and watching the amazing transformation process every time you decide to, well you know the saying … roll out.

The game play is great in multiplayer, fast, furious, but can get a bit unbalanced with higher level characters. However taking note of what abilities others have unlocked and how they use them gives the lower leveled players ambition to level up so they can start taking people apart piece by piece. While playing I did find a few glitches within the game, such as driving full speed in vehicle mode then transforming into not just autonomous mode but into and sometimes through the floor itself. Lag and connection to games are also a bit of an issue at times. Lost connection at the start of matches just kills the mood. Shooting at enemies and or the melee detection could use some work, we found ourselves scratching our heads when we melee’d someone for sure only to be left in scrap metal.

Another mode into the mix is Excavation which we all know to be Horde mode from Gears of War. Upto four players choose their favorite Autobot or Decepticon from story mode and are pitted against waves upon waves of enemies. Throughout the waves points are earned by kills that are then used to purchase health, ammo, weapons at different stations, and unlock doors that lead to different rooms and more weapons. Survival of the fittest/strongest is the name of the game for Excavation, kill fast and kill often. The more points you earn the better weapons, health, and ammo replenishes you’ll be able to use. Excavation is challenging, so be sure to be ready after every wave.

Transformers is a great game with elements from some of the greatest first person shooters around. The ability to transform wherever and whenever makes the game feel authentic and unique at that. Fierce battles whether they’re between AI or Human players are always expected. High Noon did a great job bringing the war from Cybertron into your living room. If you’ve had doubts about this game, well don’t, this game is everything and more from the Transformers Universe. The story mode alone was worth it for me but to throw in Excavation, co-op campaign, and a robust multiplayer system like Call of Duty pushed it over the top and beyond. The game isn’t perfect, but to expect perfection from a series that already has lasted over two decades of animation, movies, and games is a bit much to ask for. I’m far content with what they have brought to us. Talks of DLC being available and plans for more Transformers games like this, we can’t wait to what they bring in next.

Overall = 9.5

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Harmonix puts out their second artist exclusive Rock Band with Green Day. Be mindful that this is not a sequel to Rock Band 2 but more of a homage game similar to the Beatles Rock Band which was released last year. If your a fan of the punk rock band Green Day or have listened to a lot of their music growing up, then your going to enjoy this game.

The game revolves around the multi-platinum selling and Grammy Award-winning band Green Day in three iconic periods in their careers. Dookie, American Idiot and 21 Century Breakdown in 3 different venues. 47 tracks span that collection and six more that can be purchased via DLC in Rock Band 2. New motion cap technology is also used for the band, giving each song thats played in the specific venue a unique feel. Compared to other Rock Bands, this one feels a little light on content, especially since the band has had a successful career across all albums and all are memorable. More venues and a bigger set list would have been just the right touch to make the game totally worth while.

Green Day Rock Band offers a good variety of play between the instruments. If your looking for a challenge then you’ll find one here. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of Green Day growing up, I did however enjoy their music and have surprisingly listened to a lot of it. With that said I enjoyed the nostalgia and many of the songs are fun to even sing along with. There are a number of unlockables like Beatles Rock Band which are photos and unreleased footage. The game can also be played online, up to 6 players and has leader board tracking as well.

It’s really a no brainer here, if you like Green Day and Rock Band then this game was made to be in your collection! If you like either or then some fun can be had here. For $9.99 you can export the entire track list onto Rock Band 2 or 3 when it becomes available if thats your preference. Extra content like photos, deleted footage and easter eggs that only Green Day fans would know scattered across the game are a nice touch as well. The shear level of detail that was put into the Beatles Rock Band isn’t here but then again you would be getting this for the love of Green Day and this game has a lot of that.

Overall = 8.0

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Ubisoft releases their first big dlc for Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction and it is pleasantly surprising. It is only a map pack which contains four maps for use in either Hunter, Face Off, Infiltration or Last Stand but the variety is substantial.

Deniable Ops “Insurgency Pack” offers four new maps in areas like the docks of San Francisco, New Orleans cemetery, a prison in Portland to a hidden research complex in Salt Lake City. As the other maps in the main game, these are three part levels that offer so much to do in each one. The San Francisco area is a good example of not only the levels versatility but how it starts you off in a wear house and by the third part, makes its way to a dock area.

Each mode also offers its own strength and longevity to the pack. Although all maps can be played in solo, the games strengths lie in its co-op flexibility. Face Off is another aspect in which you definitely want to experience, especially on the new pack. There are many hiding places, secret pathways and dark corners to get you in and out of situations in a pinch. Our only real gripe is that there is no change to the AI’s mechanic for the new stages so they don’t use it to its full potential.

This is actually some great work and care thats been put into this dlc pack. Players can go at this for hours and taking on the stages in different ways, while racking up the achievement list that adds an extra 250 points to the game. For 800 MS points on Xbox Live or $10 on the PC this pack is great fun for all and should not be missed.

I’m going to say this once, I pride myself for being pretty damn good at racing games. I’ve reached impossible feats, beaten racers on their most difficult options and even ran Le Mans 24 hour tracks. Boy does Blur kick my ass sometimes. Not only have I gotten a whooping on the career campaign but online as well. This isn’t saying Blur’s not a good game but when I say that I think its the Mario Kart for adults, I mean it in more ways then one.

Bizarre Creations has taken a totally different route then their previous games, the Project Gotham Racing series to be exact. They have used a complete arcade experience as their canvas and have delivered Blur. To some it up the game uses exotic locals with a variety of licensed cars to not only tear up the streets but to launch and avoid power ups as well. Much like another racer that was played when I was a youngster, cars in this game can pick up power ups that can be hurled at opposing opponents to advance you. Track fans are awarded by attacking opponents, race placement or objectives that are met.

The online component for Blur is done well with plenty to do. Players have to unlock different modes of play by raising their level from fans that get rewarded. You can customize your power up and car load out to become aggressive or more defensive. Everything is a clean slate online, which we’ve found to be pretty redundant and have to unlock all the vehicles we did in the career mode all over again online. The modes work well with some being more fun then others as you unlock them, however once players reach matches that pit them with 19 other players, shear chaos will commence. Going from first place to twentieth place in a race is almost imminent but you do learn the ins and outs as you go along.

Overall = 7.7

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