Spring Gaming Galore
The month of September 2010 saw the release of several video games that promise to become very popular in the gaming community. We will look at three recently released games that are quite different from each other, but have a great following of avid gamers.
Halo Reach
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Bungie Software
Exclusively on: Xbox 360
Rating: M for Mature - Blood, Violence
The Halo franchise has a 10 year history thanks to its developer Bungie. Halo: Reach is the last title to be made by Bungie, however the franchise will now be in the hands of Microsoft Studios. Although Halo: Reach is the latest release it really stands as a prequel to the whole series.
The game takes place in the year 2552 where humanity is locked in a war with a military alliance of alien races, known as Covenant. The battle unfolds on the human colony of Reach weeks prior to the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. Players control Noble 6, a member of an elite super-soldier squad.
In Halo: Reach players experience the fateful events that forged the Halo legend. It's the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanity's last line of defence from the terrifying Covenant, bent on invading Earth. This darker story is echoed by grittier visuals amid a backdrop of massive, awe-inspiring environments. Characters, enemies and scenery are rendered in amazing detail by an all-new engine designed to deliver epic-scale encounters against the cunning and ruthless Covenant.
Once you are done with the main plot, there is still plenty of entertaining action to keep you busy, thanks to the online multiplayer experience. With regard to lasting value, this game is definitely up there. Halo: Reach is an essential purchase for Xbox 360 owners and is a game that will leave you proud to be an Xbox owner.
Civilization V
Genre: Turn-Based Strategy
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Firaxis
Release Date: September 2010
Platform: PC
Rating: e10+, Mild Language, Mild Violence
For almost two decades since its first release, this series has remained consistently popular whilst still managing to be different enough to be fresh with each new release. Civilization V is a strategy game based around building a selected society into a world power. This is a game that immerses you into a world of politics, religion, culture and so many other aspects of societies of the past and present.
At the initial stage it is quite familiar to Civilization fans. You start off the game as a single settler in the year 400BC and over the next 6000 years you lead your nation through stages of development, from founding cities, raising an army and even making your play for world domination.
Graphics may be secondary in a game of this kind, but it has to be said that Civilization V is undeniably the best looking turn-based strategy game to date.
Civilization V takes the strategy game series in new directions with the introduction of hexagon tiles allowing for deeper strategy, more realistic gameplay and organic landscapes for players to explore as they expand their empire.
The game features fully animated leaders of other civilisations interacting with players and speaking in their native language for the first time. Wars between empires feel massive as armies dominate the landscape, and combat is more exciting and intense than ever before. The addition of ranged bombardment allows players to fire weapons from behind the front lines, challenging players to develop clever strategies to guarantee victory on the battlefield. In addition, an extensive suite of community, modding and multiplayer elements also make an appearance.
Ever wanted to build your own society? If ever you have wanted to get into the shoes of great leaders like George Washington and Napoleon or the Great Alexander, then this is the game you have been waiting for.
Dead Rising 2
Genre: Action Adventure
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Blue Castle Games
Release Date: September 2010
Platform: X360, PC, PS3
Rating: M for Mature - Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
Dead Rising 2 is the sequel to the top selling Dead Rising game which was released in 2006. It is set in the fictional Fortune City, a gambling and entertainment resort in Nevada.
Like millions of Americans, former national motocross champion Chuck Greene (your alter-ego in this game) is gripped by the TV sensation that is Terror is Reality. Hosted by the glitzy Tyrone King, Terror is Reality pits ordinary members of the public against an arena full of zombies with a simple challenge - kill more zombies than your opponents and stay alive with the winner collecting big money and the chance to come back and secure even greater prizes. So, what is it that has forced Chuck to come to Fortune City and risk his life in the modern day gladiator-style competition? It really is all about the money isn't it. Ultimately Chuck is trying to raise funds to get an antidote, creatively named Zombrex, which will save his infected daughter who was bitten by her zombified mother a few years back.
To make matters worse after the game show ends there happens to be a break out of zombies. Chuck is blamed for this zombie up-rising and he has to clear his name. So in your attempt to clear your name you go around slaying zombies in some of the most devious ways you can think of. You can create your own weapons using a combination of any items you find lying around, be it a baseball bat paired up with some nails or a fire extinguisher and a water gun.
This is a great action game which will offer you hours of fun entertainment. If you are a fan of games that involve zombies then you should feel right at home playing Dead Rising 2.