Games Thirst Review: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward
Player(s): Offline 1-4/Co-op 1-2, Online 2-18/Co-op 1-2
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: (NA) November 10, 2009
Platform(s): Xbox 360 (also on PS3, PC)
Rated: Mature

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was one of most successful and highly praised FPS games of all time, so how exactly do you top something like that when the bar has been raised so high?

What Infinity Ward managed to do with Modern Warfare 2 is create a game that manages to immerse you in a way that Call of Duty 4 couldn't do as well. Unlike in other war games where the battle takes place in foreign countries, Russia brings the fight to American soil making you feel like there is far more at risk then before.

The story takes place 5 years after the conclusion to Call of Duty 4. Ultranationalists have managed to seize complete control of Russia despite our heroes' attempts to stop this in the previous game, with Imran Zakhaev now being declared a hero and martyr.

Meanwhile, one of Imran's former lieutenants named Vladimir Makarov starts committing numerous acts of terrorism against Europe and due to events that happen during the game, America is blamed for one of the largest terrorist attacks which results in Russia invading the states and sparking a large-scale war.

The story to Modern Warfare 2 is very engaging and far more intense and dramatic then the first game and while MW2's campaign doesn't last very long, the amount of jaw-dropping moments Infinity Ward managed to cram into that amount of time is amazing.

That is my only complaint about this entire game is the fact that it's story mode is way too short which you think would have been fixed considering that was one of the biggest complaints that Call of Duty 4 received.

Thankfully there is plenty to make up for it. The newest edition to the game is a mode called "Spec-Ops" which are various missions you can do either solo, split-screen or online. There missions vary quite a bit but most of them are taken directly from the game's campaign and some of them are even from Call of Duty 4.

Now let's face facts, most people went out and bought this game because of the multiplayer. Call of Duty 4 has some of the best multiplayer you could find on any console so did Infinity Ward actually manage to improve on that? Yes they did. A large amount of weapons, customizable and unlockable callsigns and emblems, larger maps and a ton more killstreak rewards including a freaking tactical nuke if you can manage to get a 25 kill streak going.

I knew when I got this game that I would be pleased because Infinity Ward hardly fails to do that so when the game managed to blow me away, I wasn't surprised. It took everything about the first Modern Warfare and made it better with new modes, better graphics, an even more in-depth multiplayer system and a far more epic story.

Keep in mind however that the story doesn't last as long as I would have liked. Playing non-stop I managed to wrap up the entire campaign in around 10 hours, which isn't really all that bad for a game as linear as this.

Pros:
- Intense and epic campaign
- Incredibly in-depth and improved multiplayer
- Fantastic musical score
- Spec Ops co-op mode is addicting
- Graphics are great looking

Cons:
- Campaign is once again too short

10/10

2009: The Year "Red Ring of Death" Died (Year End Articles)

It was the single biggest issue that could have destroyed Microsoft's hope of being a strong competitor in the gaming industry. In its early days, the Xbox 360 suffered from a number of technical problems that would render the console useless, many of the issues were identified by a series of red flashing lights on the face of the console, with the three red flashing lights" Red Ring of Death" (RROD) being the most infamous. The situation was so bad back in 2005 that the courts almost ordered a recall of the system. But I've noticed something happening, not many are complaining about Xbox 360's shoddy hardware anymore; in fact the internet is so silent about the issue you could hear a pin drop, and with research after research and poll after poll coming out in favor of Microsoft's console, one must wonder, did the RROD plague that almost destroyed the Xbox 360 die in 2009?

It certainly looks that way. Millions of Xbox 360 have died the RROD death since 2005 forcing Microsoft to extend its warranty to three years, with the company losing billions of dollars in the painstaking process. To its merit, the Redmond giant has made great strides forward in eliminating the issues altogether and Xbox 360 boss Aaron Greenberg now believes the hardware nightmare is now at the back of the company. But might Aaron Greenberg be right? Indeed research has proved he is.

Square Trade, the largest independent warranty provider in the world, recently released survey data which compared the malfunction rates for all three consoles and what they found was very interesting. In the survey, the Wii was found to be nine times more reliable than the Xbox 360 and four times more reliable than PS3, but with that being cleared, there's a big new reality that resulted from the survey. Square Trade's survey data shows that the introduction of the "Jasper" chipset introduced in late 2008, "has likely solved" the RROD problem.

Detailed below are some highlights of the study:

- Looking at the first two years of ownership, 2.7% of Wii owners reported a system failure to Square Trade, compared with 10% of PS3 owners and 23.7% of Xbox 360 owners.

- Excluding Red Ring of Death failures which are covered by Microsoft's 3-year warranty, 11.7% of Xbox 360 owners reported a failure.

- While the Red Ring of Death problem continued to be the major issue for Xbox 360s purchased through 2008, early indications point to the problem abating in 2009.

- The most common types of problems seen with the PS3 and Xbox 360 were disc errors and output issues. The Wii had more power and remote control issues than the other two systems.

The great news for Xbox 360 owners (I'm a proud owner myself) and Microsoft don't stop there, because according to Gamespot UK, Square Trade has since then found the first year failure rate of Xbox 360 dropped to below 4 pecent. "Looking at 500 units purchased in 2009, Square Trade found that less than one percent had suffered the Red Ring of Death," this according to Gamespot UK.

Now I can rest assured while playing some of the best exclusives on my Xbox 360 in 2010, including Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Alan Wake and Halo: Reach, I won't have to worry about RROD in the back of my head; neither will you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year gamers. Let's game on: PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii, let's game on.

In 6 days www.gamesthirst.com goes live! Join us for your chance to win a Ps3/Uncharted 2 Combo!

12/25/09 Ernice Gilbert

Reloaded Review: Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360)

Publisher: Valve Corporation
Developer: Certain Affinity
Player(s): Offline 1-2, Online 2-8/Co-op 2-4
Genre: Survival Horror, First-Person Shooter
Release Date: (NA) November 18, 2008 (EU) November 21, 2008
Platform(s): Xbox 360 (also on PC)
Rated: Mature

What couldn't be perfect about a game featuring not only zombies, but also the ability to fight off the hordes of infected with your best pals? Well Valve came pretty close to perfection but sadly didn't quite reach it.

Left 4 Dead's biggest appeal is in it's replayability and that is also what Valve was working on the most. Because of this, L4D doesn't really have a story, narration or cutscenes of any kind and as soon as you start a stage, you get thrown right into the middle of the action.

One of the most disappointing things in L4D was the lack of variety in the weapons. From the start you can use a shotgun, uzi, or a handgun but you can also find strongest versions of these weapons at random places in the levels but really, there is only six in total. Where is my flamethrower or rocket launcher? That would have been awesome.

There is also a very small variety in levels. 4 main stages, each with 5 sub-levels is all you are going to get and it only takes around 30-40 minutes to get through each one meaning the game is going to be over quickly and with a lack of DLC, that is extremely disappointing.

L4D is so full of gore and it couldn't be more glorious. Every time you take out an infected, gallons of blood and chunks cover the screen and since there is never a shortage of infected on-screen at one time just trust me, you'll be bathing in the blood shed. Also, since the graphics are actually really quite good, all of the destroyed flesh and brain matter are shown in great detail.

Aside from the zombies (which all seem to look the same after a while) you also have to face off against "special infected" like a big fat guy known as a "Boomer" that pukes his bile on you which attracts the infected and a steroid-abusing behemoth known as the "Tank" that puts the Incredible Hulk to shame and it will take all your teammates to successfully take him down on the harder difficulties.

Yes I said teammates. Most online games will allow you to go all "Rambo" and run off on your own but not this one. If you try to pull that hero nonsense, you will die. You will get overwhelmed by everything you could possibly imagine which makes teamwork imperative in this game.

Aside from the co-op, L4D also features a competitive multiplayer mode where one team acts as the survivors and tries to make it to the safe room at the end of the stage and the other team acts as the "special infected" which you think would be cooler then it really is. When you're any infected other then the Tank, the game just basically laughs in your face.

Left 4 Dead is one of those examples of a game where if you don't have friends to play with, only give it a rent. The single player campaign is over before you know it and since there are only 4 stages in the game, it will get old pretty fast, but if you have an Xbox Live account or internet access, definitely give the game a shot because it's some of the best co-operative gameplay you are going to find anywhere.

Pros:
- Very intense gameplay
- Every playthrough is different thanks to the A.I. Director
- Gritty graphics and environments
- Tons of replay value if played online
- One of the best co-op experiences on any console

Cons:
- Little replay value if playing alone
- Very small weapon selection
- Not a lot of stages

8/10

Modern Warfare 2 Patch Now Live On 360 And PS3

For the past little while, a hack has been spreading through Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 that allowed for infinite ammo and other private match glitches like a contagious virus throughout the gaming community.

A patch to fix this issue has been released on the Xbox 360 version of the game so now the problem is fixed console-wide. If you have resorted to playing Call of Duty 4 to avoid the problem you will happy to know that it is no more.

Does this mean that another hack or horrible glitch might raise it's ugly head to strike once more? Probably but by the looks of things, Infinity Ward is keep a close eye out.

12/24/09 Colton West

Does Bayonetta Deserve Uncharted 2-Like Scores? Is It Really That Good?

Before everyone fall sick with fanboy rage, let me make it clear that I'm NOT about to dissect Bayonetta to bits and talk about how much of a terrible game it is. If I did, then I wouldn't consider myself fit to be a journalist in this industry because without a doubt, from what I've played on the demo (PS3), Bayonetta is one of the better experiences gamers will enjoy come early next year. But I guess I have a few questions that probably some of you could help me answer? See the game is getting universal praise and high marks from the likes of 1up, IGN, and even Edge, (although I don't trust the latter) and on many fronts rightfully so; but these extremely high marks are placing the game amongst the best of the best, I'm not sure it should be so I'm a bit perturbed.

IGN gave Uncharted 2 a 9.5 score because of the most ridiculous reason I've ever heard, they claimed at the beginning of the game the stealth portion was just too difficult to get through. What? Well going by what I've played in the Bayonetta Demo, (and although it's the PS3's version I doubt there's vast difference between the two) there are some points in the game the camera lagged, and to be honest, apart from all the wild moves the witch has at her disposal, there are not too many innovations in the game. I bring up innovation because it's one of the points reviewers love bringing up when reviewing a title, whether it can teleport its genre to new heights etc. But like 1up said, "Bayonetta is essentially a [Devil May Cry] sequel masquerading as a new game."

Again, the game is great and this is not a rant, but I just cannot see where all the innovations lie in this one. I will buy the Xbox 360 version come January, there's no way I'll opt for the PS3's because of obvious reasons and to be honest, the game is at the top of my most wanted for early next year. But the graphics are not up to par with what we've seen in games like Killzone 2 and Uncharted 2, nor is the storyline extremely compelling, the gameplay is fluid at must say and Platinum Games must be commended for the great work they did bringing this awesome title together.

At Metacritic, the Xbox 360 version of Bayonetta is at 9.4 and I suspect it might go higher, but by doing this, we, the gaming media have already placed Bayonetta at the top of the pedestal sitting proudly among the great games like Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots, Grand Theft Auto IV, Super Mario Galaxy, the Original Halo and Uncharted 2 just to name a few. Really, does Bayonetta belong there?

12/23/09 Ernice Gilbert

Greenberg: "2010 Will Be A Bigger Year [For Xbox 360] Than 2009, No Doubt"

Many journalists have concluded that 2009 was not a stellar year for Xbox 360, in fact it has been deemed as the worst since Microsoft launched the console in 2005. Greenberg would not agree that 2009 was the worst, but he reckons 2010 will beat out last year by miles, "no doubt."

Talking up the Xbox 360's success against PS3's by comparing NPD November 2009 software sales side-by-side, Major Nelson said: "Assassin's Creed II on 360 roughly almost 2-1 PS3, you have Left 4 Dead 2, there's a bunch of 360 stuff on the top 10, we've got 1, 2, 3, 4 titles. Modern Warfare 2 at the top, Assassin's Creed II came in 4th, Left 4 Dead 2 came in 5th and Dragon Age on 360 came in 9th - that's a pretty good month," Major said.

Aaron Greenberg followed with some numbers and analysis of his own: "I think what a lot of people don't realize is that it's not just about selling hardware, it's also about the total ecosystem and we drove more consumer spending for the month than the Wii or the PS3," he said, "so if you look at consumers dollars on hardware, software, accessories - we have more dollars spent on our platform than any other platform - that's a really big indicator," he continued.

"The second piece is for third party partners, how did they do? - if you look at third party software sales: EA, Activision, Ubisoft, these guys, they sold more games on the Xbox 360 than the Wii and the PS3 combined (laughter and amazement in the studio). So it was a huge month, really really great results and I think it just solidifies what we think will be a banner year for us.

He went on to predict what 2010 will be like for Xbox 360: "Heading into what I think 2010, I mean you always say wow! great year, great year - 2010, hands down will be a bigger year than 2009 I have no doubt."

And there you have it, if you own an Xbox 360 then have no fear, because according to the execs, there'll be no lack on content for you to spend cash on. Here's the question, compared to PS3 do you think Xbox 360 can compete next year in the exclusive department? Let us know in the comments below.

12/22/09 Ernice Gilbert

Darksiders Won't Have Demo, No DLC Planned

In a recent interview with VG247, Vigil GM David Adams said the game won't be getting a demo and that they have no plans for DLC at the moment.

"We aren't doing a demo," Adams said, "we didn't have the time or the resources to prepare one - finishing the game came right down to the wire."

Adams also mentioned that there were no DLC plans, "but it's always a possibility."

"We're just glad to have the base game down," the exec concluded.

VG247 played the first 20 minutes of the game, watch it here if you like. It's out on January 8th, 2010.

12/21/09 Ernice Gilbert

Avartar Goes Big In Theaters And Bust On Consoles

Avatar owned the worldwide box office in its first weekend even as North American sales struggled because of a massive snow storm, the movie's distributor said.

The blockbuster film, one of the most expensive ever made, managed to rake in $232.2 million from 106 foreign markets and North America, this according to News Corp's 20th Century Fox, making it the ninth biggest release of all time. Great news for 20th Century Fox but for Ubisoft, the game's developer and publisher, it's been a rough road.

According to over five reviews we looked up including IGN's, Avatar the game is a passable experience at best. Simple put, the "Videogame adaptation of James Cameron's universe doesn't quite deliver," IGN said. Another website reckoned "The game isn't near anywhere near as good as the movie."

So what's the problem? This same situation has been occurring over and over for many years, where you have a great movie which does well and the game adaption turns out to be not so stellar. When NPD release their software sales numbers for the month of December 2009 in January 2010, the results will be predictable: Avatar The Game will not be among the top sellers.

Maybe, just maybe next time they'll get it right; but I highly doubt it.

12/21/09 Ernice Gilbert

Fanboyism Should Die In 2009, Let Unity Reign In 2010

January 1st, 2009, it seemed like the war would never come to an end. Killzone 2 was set to hit store shelves the following month and all you could find on the internet was fanboys cussing, insulting, and threatening each other. 'Killzone 2 will flop!' those on Microsoft's side uttered, to which the Sony Defense Force shot back with rage 'oh shut up and go play Gaylo!'

Today is December 20th, 2009 and the war rages on, bigger and hotter than ever. We've left Killzone and Halo behind, and now it's GT5 against Forza 3 among a host of other comparisons. Another point of contention is the fact that Final Fantasy XIII, a former PlayStation exclusive is now making its way unto the Xbox 360, and now according to PS3 fanboys the game is not good because it's been dumbed down to fit on the other console.

The war rages on: Mass Effect 2, will it come to PS3? Resistance 3, will it come to Xbox 360? Splinter Cell: Conviction, will it make an appearance on PS3? Final Fantasy Versus XIII, is it truly a PS3 exclusive? Anyone of the aforementioned questions will surely set the comments section on websites ablaze. Well I'm hear to make a declaration; it's up to gamers but I believe fanboyism is childish behavior to an extent, I say to an extent because there's nothing wrong with loving the console you own. But when insults and threats start flinging across the room, gamers we have a problem.

It makes us look stupid, like Sony, Microsoft or even Nintendo are our god. Firstly, we don't get anything from them for doing this, and also they take our money to enrich themselves and although nothing is wrong with that, (that's what they're in business for), the situation is laughable. I just can't get the image out of my head of company execs laughing uncontrollably at fanboys defending them.

I'm not and never will be a fanboy, I own and love all the next gen consoles, I write articles praising and critical to all parties because it's my job. On January 1st, 2010, our official website goes live: www.gamesthirst.com and it would be a pleasure to have all come be a part of the grand opening, and although we know some folks won't ever change, it would be nice if gamers come together, respect each other and make the community a great place to be.

Will you join GamesThirst in killing fanboyism in 2010? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Splinter Cell: Conviction Co-op Trailer Plus Vidoe Walkthrough

February is quickly approaching and Splinter Cell: Conviction is getting ready to take you on a stealth journey like no other title can. Only thing is make sure you have another friend who's buying the game because you'll need him/her to take on the title's co-op mode.

Below you'll find Ubisoft's latest trailer and video walkthrough of the highly anticipated title.

Quench your thirst.

12/19/09 Ernice Gilbert

Video Thirst: Bad Company 2: Panama Wild Action!

The game will be out March 2nd, 2010 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC but that does not mean you have to remain thirsty until then. EA Dice let Bad Company 2 loose in Panama; mayhem at its finest.

Quench your thirst then enjoy some new screens.

12/18/09 Ernice Gilbert

Reloaded Review: Far Cry 2 (Xbox 360)

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Player:(s) Offline 1, System Link 2-16, Online 2-16
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: (NA) October 21, 2008 (EU) October 24, 2008
Platform:(s) Xbox 360 (also on PS3, PC)
Rated: Mature

Far Cry 2 was highly anticipated with the promise of a powerful, open-ended experience in the beautiful landscapes of Africa. Does it live up to what we were promised?

Story:
You take on the role of a mercenary in Far Cry 2 rather then the first game's protagonist Jack Carver as you struggle to hunt down and kill an arms dealer known as "The Jackal" in a small Central African state that has been embroiled in a civil war.

With the recent collapse of the government, two factions have begun battle for control of the state. The two factions at war are the "United Front for Liberation and Labour" and the "Alliance for Popular Resistance."

Presentation:
Far Cry 2 is a very, very gorgeous game in meaning of the term. Every single one of the landscapes is beautifully modeled and I even found myself just taking in the sights.

The engine that was designed for Far Cry 2 is called the Dunia Engine and it's quite impressive to be honest. The game features a real-time day to night cycle and weather cycles that all occur in real time.

Setting off explosions will cause trees to sway and break as leaves fall everywhere. It's very realistic and only adds to FC2's sheer level of polish in this department.

Gameplay:
One of the best features in Far Cry 2 is the open world style of exploration and the way the game completely immerses you in the world Ubisoft has created.

Sadly, everything looks the same so exploring the landscapes can get old once you've done it for too long. You have the ability to take vehicles, boats and hang gliders to explore the world but they are extremely weak and within a few shots from any gun, you will need to get out and fix the motor by watching an animation of your character repairing the engine. This happens every time your vehicle takes damage and if you want to be able to get anywhere, you will need to constantly get out and repair the vehicle and trust me, it gets very annoying very quickly.

The currency of this state isn't money, it's diamonds; so that is your payment for doing the missions. They can also be found in hidden locations throughout the map and are indicated by a flashing green light on your GPS system.

Yes, your navigation is done entirely through a map and a GPS system and if you don't have a high-def TV, (like me) you have to keep looking down at the map in your hand which is a total pain when you're driving around smashing into stuff.

The weapon selection in the game is also very large and the games are extremely realistic not only by look but also by use. If you have a heavily used weapon, it might jam and it always seems to happen during a firefight. It's a good way to keep you immersed in the game but they really did go a bit overboard.

Fire is also it's own character in this game as everything you'd expect to be flammable is indeed flammable. How far the fire will spread depends on how dry the environment is and how windy it happens to be. It's fun just lighting things on fire but no matter how big the fire gets, it always seems to extinguish within a minute.

Another thing that should not have been included in the game was the fact that your character starts the game off with malaria. Because of this, you need to take pills for it every 30-40 minutes of real-time gameplay and once you've taken your entire case of pills, you need to go do a mission to refill it. The reason this is annoying is because it always happens when you don't want it to.

One of the things that really gets to me is that the enemies can always detect you from miles away and still hit you with their impossibly accurate rifles meaning stealth is absolutely pointless. They also never seem to die and it takes almost a full clip to actually put someone down.

My final complaint is that scattered throughout the world are guard posts filled with enemies. Every time you come across one of these posts, you need to get out and kill them all before you can head out on your way because if you try to drive past, they will chase after you and they will always catch up. The 'best' part about these guard posts is thatevery time you drive past one, the enemies have respawned and you need to repeat the killing process.

Far Cry 2 also features a multiplayer option that plays similar to Call of Duty 4's leveling system. Many of the features in single player like fire and the weapon damage translates well over to multiplayer but the best feature is without a doubt the map editor. The amount of items and options you have at your disposal is impressive and the fact that you can share maps makes it all worthwhile.

Sound:
Far Cry 2 does sound very well to be blunt. Throughout your adventure, the only time you will really hear music is when you are in a battle which allows you to be immersed in the sounds of birds, wind, water, fire, and animals littered throughout the land which is easy on the ears and just pleasant to hear in general.

Because the music cues in whenever an enemy is near, it helps when you are not aware of what is nearby since the minute you hear it, you know to arm yourself and fast.

The voice acting is also pretty well done but since you spend most of the game alone exploring, there isn't very much dialogue spoken besides what you hear when you're with enemies or in a town.

Overall:
The designers behind Far Cry 2 were obviously a very ambitious group and the ideas they had for this game were in-genius but sadly, not all of the ideas translated well to the game even though I'm sure it sounded great on paper.

Gameplay gets boring after a while mainly because everything looks the same. The outposts, impossibly accurate and strong enemies also really damage the game's playability.

If you can get over these things then you will find that Far Cry 2 is very enjoyable as not only a game but also eye candy.

Pros:
- "Dunia" engine is very impressive
- Plenty of realistic weapons
- Enjoyable multiplayer
- Lengthy story
- Fire is fun

Cons:
- Everything looks the same
- Enemies are too strong, too accurate and respawn too often
- Annoyingly weak vehicles
- Not much of a story

7/10

Reloaded Review: Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2 (Xbox 360)

Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Team Ninja
Player:(s) Offline 1, Online 2-4
Genre: Sports
Release Date: (NA) November 13, 2006 (JP) November 22, 2006 (EU) December 6, 2006
Platform:(s) Xbox 360
Rated: Mature

The beautiful ladies of the Dead or Alive universe hang up their fighting clothes in place of swim suits and head out to Zack Island once again to enjoy another sun-drenched vacation, but is DOAX2 a sizzling-hot experience or a shallow mess?

Story:
There is very little story to this game. Dead or Alive fighter Zack has resurrected "Zack Island" from the bottom of the ocean after it sank during a volcanic eruption during the first Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Re-dubbing the island as "New Zack Island", Zack tricks the ladies into coming back to the island.

Presentation:
Let's face it, you know exactly why you wanted to play this game and it sure as heck wasn't for the gameplay. The women are gorgeous, they're skin flawless with their "assets" looking as good as ever.

The environments are beautiful and really do a good job at making you feel warm inside and small details in the art design really knock it out of the park. The sand beneath the girl's feet deforms as if they were really standing on it and the beautifully rendered water shimmers in the sunlight in a nearphoto-realistic fashion. It does have it's visual flaws however.

The hair on all the girls has a tendency to go through their shoulders and one of the oddest flaws is that the breast physics are extremely wonky. When the girls stop moving, the breasts keep moving around in such a way that it seems like they have a life of their own. It's kind of unsettling and very distracting.

Gameplay:
This is where the game really suffers. Throughout the island, you have the ability to choose different activities like volleyball, "butt-battles", pool hopping, a water slide,jet-skiing , and finally a flag race. Every activity gives you cash which you can use in shops where you can purchase new swimsuits, items, and accessories for your current girl.

To the game's credit, there is a ton of stuff to buy in the shops and it adds a lot of replay value if you can handle the boring gameplay for long. Volleyball is the main event in the game as you will be playing this activity the most more then likely. It's simple; you and a partner (another girl in the game) face off against a random team of 2 other girls as you compete to be the first team to get 7 points. Jet-skiing is also another activity that will be played a lot and it's terrible because of it's simplicity.

The controls while racing are also very touchy and slamming yourself into an invisible wall is common. The biggest problem with the gameplay is that it's extremely boring, redundant and just not very fun to play. Gambling is also abundant in DOAX2 and it's probably the funnest mode in the game which is just sad. I've lost millions of dollars just trying to win in Black Jack.

The game also features multiplayer through Xbox Live but I can't comment on this because I have never been able to find an opponent. Ever. That is a definite bad sign right there.

Sound:
The sound effects are very immersing. You have the sounds of seagulls and the crashing of the ocean waves which really add to the game's tropical atmosphere but sadly, the sound effects are the only things coming out of the speakers.

The music selection is absolutely terrible, especially since this game was obviously targeted towards men. All of the songs consist of irritating pop music. I can only handle listening to Hilary Duff's "Sweet Sixteen" for so long before mental scarring begins to take place.

Don't even get me started on the annoying voice acting. If you're going to play the game, use the Japanese dub. Just trust me on this one you'll thank me later.

Overall:
Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2 is nothing but a guilty pleasure. It's very easy on the eyes but you can't help but feel really dirty when you play it. The gameplay gets horribly boring very quickly, the multiplayer lobbies are pretty much deserted and sound design is terrible.

If you want to play a game just for the beautiful women in skimpy bikinis then this is the perfect game for that but if you want to actually play the game, you're in for major disappointment.

Pros
- Beautiful graphics
- A ton of items to collect
- The "Venus" swimsuit. Trust me.
- The gambling mini-games

Cons:
- Boring and repetitive gameplay
- Empty multiplayer lobbies and no local multiplayer
- Terrible voice acting and music selections
- Idiotic story
- Bad controls in the jet-skiing stages

4/10

12/16/09 Colton West

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Beta Stats: Over 45 million Killed

Battled: Bad Company 2 is shaping up to really be something, and if we're are to believe the stats confirmed by game developer DICE, it'll also be really addictive.

More than 300,000 players took part in the beta, accumulating a kill score of over 45 million.

Here's the full thing:

- 9.4 Million kills from vehicles

- 3.43 Million vehicles destroyed

- 380 Houses destroyed

- 1.10 Million Marksman headshots

- Total number of points awarded = 10 100 094 360

- Total number of revives = 2.52 Million

- Total Repair Tool Kills = 15.85 Thousand

- Total Defibrillator Kills = 12.69 Thousand

- Total Knife Kills = 1.69 Million

- Total C4 Kills = 730.81 Thousand

- 45.42 Million kills

That's a lot of blood on people's hands, including yours truly ; ).

Get the game next March for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

12/16/09 Ernice Gilbert

Video Thirst: Modern Warfare 2 Hit By Another Glitch, Again

Ever since Modern Warfare 2 was released, the online portion of the game which is mostly where all the excitement is, has been plagued with glitch after glitch keeping Infinity Ward on their toes as they try to stay atop of the situation.

This time, players can grab unlimited ammo and unleash the wrath of hot metal into their enemies bodies... video after the read.

Studio boss Robert Bowling's acknowledged the situation and promised a fix "soon enough," so it won't be too long victims. It won't be too long either cheaters.

12/16/09 Ernice Gilbert

Endurance: Halo: Reach Proves Xbox 360 has it

Notice the image above? It's meant to display the lasting pull of the Xbox 360. Ever since the new Halo: Reach trailer was unveiled, the internet has been in an uproar. Some questioned the validity of the showing while believers were awestruck, and now the speculations run endless. But there's one thing that Bungie's biggest effort yet demonstrates: Xbox 360 has staying power and will stand next to PS3 for years to come; this must be reassuring to Microsoft.

Year after year, PS3 owners have been making the argument that eventually PS3 games will outperform that of it's nemesis the Xbox 360 by miles. And while by "miles" might be a stretch, PS3 exclusive games are definitely starting to look better than those of the 360. Or so we thought?

You see, Microsoft it seems knows how to counter whatever the competition sends their way and I applaud them for it. Many thought the Xbox 360 would go the way of the dinosaurs when the redesigned PS3 Slim was launched, but this past November the software giant proved that they still have a lot of tricks up their sleeves and the 360 managed to outsell the PS3 by over 100,000 units in the that month, throwing even some of the most seasoned analysts off their game.

Skeptics predicted that the Xbox 360 would follow in the footsteps of its predecessor the original Xbox, but clearly we see how wrong those skeptics were. Next winter, Microsoft will be releasing what they think will help strengthen the Xbox brand and give longevity to their current system, the Xbox 360 and it will. We won't know for sure how successful Project Natal will be, however we know there will be some kind of impact, one that will ultimately lend more time to the Redmond company aiding them to make a decent profit or at least cut even before they venture into the next effort.... another Xbox.

There are many more reasons why Xbox 360 will be around for quite some time, but now we want to look at what matters the most, which are the games and this one exclusive in particular has just added more life into Microsoft's box.

Halo: Reach - The trailer was revealed last Saturday at the 2009 VGAs and as already stated, the internet went bonkers. Some people were disappointed but most were elated and since then, the hype train left the station, and will come to peak when the title is launched late next year.

The graphics look amazing. Nothing like we've seen on the Xbox 360, which was accomplished on an in-game engine, no CG. Just when the gaming world thought that the Xbox 360 was losing steam in comparison to the PS3, Microsoft strikes again with their ace-in-the-whole - Halo: Reach.

The conclusion: PS3 and Xbox 360 will live in discomfort side-by-side until the seventh generation is out, and the eighth rolls in.

12/15/09 Ernice Gilbert