Sorry about being ~14 hours late...don't get me banned. PC: Company of Heroes (Historic Real-Time Strategy) 9/14 Caesar IV (Historic City-Building) 9/26 Note that there will probably be a few more (at least) PC games that I’ll end up posting about in the upcoming weeks. Xbox 360: Test Drive Unlimited (GT/Street Racing) 9/5 PS2: Yakuza (Modern Action Adventure) 9/5 Rule of Rose (Horror Action Adventure) 9/12 Okami (Adventure) 9/19 Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (RPG) 9/26 Gamecube: Baten Kaitos Origins (RPG) 9/25 PSP: LocoRoco (2D Platformer) 9/5 Guilty Gear Judgment (2D Fighting) 9/5 Bounty Hounds (Sci-Fi Shooter) 9/12 Bomberman (Puzzle) 9/12 WTF (Puzzle) 9/26 DS: Mario Hoops 3 on 3 (Basketball) 9/11 MechAssault: Phantom War (Sci-Fi Shooter) 9/12 Harvest Moon DS (Strategy) 9/12 Cooking Mama (Cooking) 9/12 Mega Man ZX (2D Platformer) 9/12 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (RPG) 9/18 Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (Fantasy Action Adventure) 9/19 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (2D Platformer) 9/25 Multi: Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run (Mission-Based Driving) [PS2, XBX] 9/5 LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (Sci-Fi Action Adventure) [Everything except PS3/Wii] 9/12 NBA 2K7 (Basketball Sim) [360, XBX, PS2, and possibly PS3 down the line] 9/25 NBA Live 07 (Basketball Sim) [PC, 360, XBX, PS2, PSP, and PS3 at launch] 9/25 Just Cause (Action) [PC, 360, XBX, PS2] 9/27 I left out the NHL games. Sorry hockey fans. Big month for the DS, as well as for gamers looking forward to checking out the new NBA games. BTW, I’ll be switching to Metacritic for the average scores instead of Gamerankings.
Company of Heroes (PC) http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroes/news.html?sid=6155465 I think there is a beta demo available for this. Caesar IV (PC) http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/caesar4/news.html?sid=6156181 Demo for this too. Test Drive Unlimited (360) http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/driving/testdriveunlimited/news.html?sid=6149637&mode=previews Those impressions are based on the E3 demo that was put up on XBL I believe. So you guys can preview it yourself if you haven’t already. Also, if I'm not mistaken, this is a budget title...meaning that it is priced at $40 instead of $60. Yakuza (PS2) http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/ryugagotoku/news.html?sid=6155200 Rule of Rose (PS2) http://ps2.ign.com/articles/708/708106p1.html This was a game I talked about a while back…like a year ago. It is kind of like Silent Hill I think, but with a lot of creepy kids…or something. Okami (PS2) http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/okami/news.html?sid=6155294&mode=previews Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2) http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/valkyrieprofilesilmeria/news.html?sid=6153160&mode=previews I think Gametrailers.com already has a video review of this up. I think it got a 7.8. Baten Kaitos Origins (GC) http://cube.ign.com/articles/691/691268p1.html LocoRoco (PSP) http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/locoroco/news.html?sid=6148165&mode=previews Guilty Gear Judgment (PSP) http://psp.ign.com/articles/728/728954p1.html
Bounty Hounds (PSP) http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/bountyhounds/news.html?sid=6155237 Bomberman (PSP) http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/bomberman/news.html?sid=6150485&mode=recent WTF (PSP) http://www.gamespot.com/psp/puzzle/bytehell2000/news.html?sid=6155701&mode=recent Mario Hoops 3 on 3 (DS) http://www.gamespot.com/ds/sports/mariobasketball/news.html?sid=6154893&mode=previews MechAssault DS (DS) http://ds.ign.com/articles/726/726582p1.html Harvest Moon DS (DS) There’s really not many good early impressions from this; it is Harvest Moon...you should know what to expect. Cooking Mama (DS) http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/cookingmama/news.html?sid=6156057&mode=recent Mega Man ZX (DS) (not sure why this image is blown up) http://www.gamespot.com/ds/action/megamanzx/news.html?sid=6150734&mode=recent
Pokemon Blue (DS) http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/pokemonblue/news.html?sid=6156920 Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (DS) http://www.gamespot.com/ds/action/dragonquestheroesrocketslime/news.html?sid=6156182&mode=recent Mario vs Donkey Kong 2 (DS) http://www.gamespot.com/ds/action/mariovsdonkeykong2/news.html?sid=6150907&mode=recent Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run (Multi) http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/driving/spyhunter3/news.html?sid=6154810&mode=recent Lego Star Wars 2 (Multi) http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/724/724518p1.html NBA 2K7 (Multi) http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/nba2k7/news.html?sid=6155986&mode=previews NBA Live 07 (Multi) http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/nbalive07/news.html?sid=6156527&mode=recent Just Cause (Multi) http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/justcause/news.html?sid=6156194&mode=recent Both of those demos are available now IIRC.
I've been playing CoH for about 2 weeks now. The game rocks. I don't think there is a demo out for it yet. I have been playing the pre-order Multiplayer beta. THe game is pretty fun. There is a lot of actual strategy in this game. You have to control points to get resources, you have to flank certain opponents and you also use flanking to find the weaknesses of the enemy units. For example, Tanks are more vulnerable in the rear so you have to try and flank them to get better damage. If you try to shoot them head on it takes way longer to take them out. You can also set your units to turn their areas of best protection towards enemy units.I haven't seen a lot of the old RTS standard build lots of units rush them at opponent. Usually by the time you can build your units the oponnent has his base secured. Overall it is a pretty fun game. I am anxiously awaiting the single player version.
According to GS, there's a beta demo available (1.5 GB): http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroes/downloads.html 2 levels, plus the tutorial. I haven't checked it out, but I'm assuming it is like any other demo. Looks like it was put out in the last week or so. Sounds like a lot of fun, and it looks great from what I can tell.
ok I hadn't seen that. The tutorial isn't much. It is very 1st grade but it will give you a pretty good idea of the graphics and gameplay. I have been playing skirmish maps on multiplayer so I can't really say anything about the levels that might be included.
Caesar looks pretty cool I might have to give that a shot anyone played the previous 3 versions? is it like Age of Empires?
I played Caesar 3 for a while. It is different than AOE. The best way to describe it is a cross between Sim City and AOE. You have a scenario where you build a city and you have to maintain city functions (although not as in depth as Sim City) and after a while you get promoted and move on to the next scenario. Many of the scenario's add in the requirement that you have to protect your city. You have to build forces and keep out invaders, as well as maintain your city and its population. If you like AOE and Sim City your good for this one. If you have doubts, I'd suggest seeing if you can find an old C3 demo or see if the new version offers one.
Yeah, there's a demo for Caesar IV too: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/caesar4/downloads.html 1 full scenario plus tutorial (450MB). GS also has the demo for Caesar 3.
A bunch of games with 7s from Gamespot and a game with an 8 from IGN: Lego Star Wars II (Multi) http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/legostarwarstheoriginaltrilogy/review.html?sid=6157384 7.7 from GS (for all versions I think), 84 for the 360 version at Metacritic. BTW, there are rumors that there will be a Lego Batman. Guilty Gear Judgment (PSP) http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/guiltygearjudgement/review.html?sid=6157357 7.5 from Gamespot, no score yet from Metacritic (besides the GS score, this has another rating of 75 and also 80). Test Drive Unlimited (360) http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/driving/testdriveunlimited/review.html?sid=6157304 7.8 from Gamespot, 83 from Metacritic. LocoRoco (PSP) http://www.gamespot.com/psp/action/locoroco/review.html?sid=6154011 7.7 from Gamespot, 83 from Metacritic. Yakuza (PS2) http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/ryugagotoku/review.html?sid=6157009 7.4 from Gamespot, 78 from Metacritic. Mega Man ZX (DS) http://ds.ign.com/articles/731/731859p1.html 8.2 from IGN, no score yet from Metacritic (2 90s, 1 85, and the 82 from IGN, which hasn't been put in yet). Gametrailers.com has a preview of NBA 2K7: http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?fs=1&id=2743 Game looks great IMO. Haven't checked out Live in a while, but I heard it doesn't look nearly as good as 2K7 (mostly in the animation department).
lol looks like this season EA and 2K switched games this year. The screenshots for NBA Live look like the 2K ones from last year and vice versa. lol.
I've been reading up on the two NBA games for the 360 a lot recently and 2K7 looks to be amazing. a crap-load of editable ratings and sliders for each player and team to make the game play like real life, 30 different tweakable cameras to choose from, a new franchise mode with progressive fatigue and three-team trades, apparently fixed the player-lock feature, added where up to 8 people can control teams in franchise, online leagues for up to 30 players and up to 82 game seasons all of which can be fantasy drafted online as well. And, there is so much more that I can't even remeber at the moment. I guess you can tell I'm pretty psyched for this to come out. Also, the two NHL games come out this month as well. Both demos are available for the 360 through marketplace.
November 14th, according to Gamespot: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/medieval2totalwar/index.html
Ok I got the full version of CoH today. I had to work late so I didn't get to start playing until about 11:00. Let me just say this is more than a game. It is a pretty good cinema experience. The story is great. You start out on the Beaches of Normandy and you have to move a set of troops up the beach. It's real easy. Then you have to take out a couple of bunkers. Throw grenades and your good. Then you take out some 88's through a set of trenches. That is mission one. Mission two is a little different. You take over a Airborne unit, and then have to navigate a map and take strategic points. You have to control a road and take out several sets of AA guns. Then you get to set up an ambush of a convoy. That was really cool but it didn't last too long. I took out the whole convoy by setting up a road full of mines and sand bags. I set it up in front of one of the AA's I took over and let those guys fire the AA into the disabled vehicles. The third mission is to take Carentan. Pretty cool. You start with very few troops and have to secure the church. There are tons of enemy troops and a couple of MG42's firing at you. The game play is pretty good but the best part is the graphics and the cut-scenes. The missions play out like a movie. You see a cutscene about the area you are in, and then you get an objective. After finishing the first objective you go to a briefing screen and get another objective. After meeting each objective you go back to the briefing screen and get objectives until you have completed the mission. The graphics are awesome. I was attacking a group of Germans with a machine gun crew. As they were about to finish them off, I set one guy to throw a grenade. The guns finished them before the grenade went off so I zoomed in to watch. One of the Germans had his head blown smooth off(it is rated M for this reason and the fact that the soldiers curse a ton), and the others went flying through the air. Another nice aspect is that it isn't a typical RTS. Build a billion units and over power the enemy. You have to actually use a little strategy. In Carentan you can't just run up on the MG's If you do your troops get blasted. You have to ultimately send a couple of units to draw it's fire while you send another unit behind it to flank it and grenade it. So far I have been limited to the number of units I could produce. You can produce more by capturing strategic points. Overall if you are an RTS fan or a WWII fanthis is a must. Between the graphics and gameplay, I'll probably be playing this one for a while.
