Going deeply in the story of the game will absolutely ruin the experience for who is willing to play the game, so I will just cover the basics here. The game revolves around four normal people and the mysterious killer (the origami killer). There are four different playable characters in the game so you will see the game’s story from their different perspectives. For some reason, those characters stories are interconnected for a certain purpose.
 

The game starts very slowly, and in my opinion, it’s a good choice that the developers made the first hours of the game like this. This isn’t a shooter or an action game, Heavy Rain is all about the characters, the setting and the atmosphere. So it’s very important to build up the characters personalities and the atmosphere from the outset. Heavy Rain’s story is emotional and unique, but truth to be told, the game’s story isn’t perfect nor it’s flawlessly executed. What does make the story stand out is how unique and different it is from other stories in the videogames medium. The story isn’t about saving the world or something like that, it’s about the emotions, the characters and it’s also about themes such as love and sacrifice.
 

Heavy Rain plays similar to Quantic Dream’s previous game Indigo Prophecy (or Fahrenheit). Though, the game uses a different and unique control scheme. You have to hold the trigger button to move forward and the left analog stick to move the character left or right. The right analog stick is used to interact with the environment. Yeah, you will get confused from the controls at first, but with time, you will get used to it. Quick time events do play a big role in the game. Is that a bad thing? Not really. The developers of the game did a great job in making quick time events fun by implementing the Sixaxis successfully. They also added some depth to the formula, by forcing you to press/charge a combination of buttons simultaneously.
 
 

The developers at Quantic Dream had tried their best to give the players a cinematic feel, but at the price of not giving the players the best possible camera angle. It’s an issue, but it doesn’t ruin the experience by any means. The visuals looks great, but not perfect. The characters faces are finely detailed, but clothes, hands and especially some objects in the environment aren’t as detailed as you would hope. Though, the game has stunning rain effect and exceptional art direction.
 

Voice acting is great, but sometimes it doesn’t reach the highest standards. Also, there is some Lip syncing issues. The game has great soundtrack as it really enhances the emotional experience you get from the story and it perfectly fits what happens on the screen. Although the game encourages the player to replay the final chapters of the game so to see how the story conclude at the end, there is no reason to return back to the game after you see the different endings of the game.
 

It’s obvious that the developers at Quantic Dream wanted from the beginning to create something closer to movies than to a videogame in Heavy Rain. Despite the lack of replay value and some presentation issues, Quantic Dream has created something refreshing and unique. Heavy Rain is certainly a great step forward in the medium of interactive storytelling.
 
 

Score: (8.8/10)
 
 

The sequel begins not long after the events of Mass Effect. You have defeated Saren, Sovereign and saved the galaxy from the reapers, temporally. The real threat to the galaxy is still there and it’s up to Commander Shepard and his companions to end this. Though an unpleasant event happens, the Normandy (the protagonist Commander Shepard’s ship) comes under attack by an unknown assailant. The ship suffers extensive damage, forcing the crew to evacuate in escape pods. A very big plot twist happens afterward and that’s where the game truly begins.
 

You will be introduced to the Illusive Man who’s in charge of a dark pro human organization named the Cerberus. You will be joining forces with Cerberus in an attempt in combating a new threat which has been abducting entire human colonies. With Cerberus help, Commander Shepard gets his new upgraded Normandy and starts his journey in recruiting a new team to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of human colonies.
 
 

Although the main story of the game is great in its own, it isn’t solely what makes the story of Mass Effect 2 so enjoyable to follow; it’s your companions stories and personalities that will get you excited for the game story. Every character in your team has his own story, his own issue and you will be helping them to overcome their issues if you choose to do so. Also, the game lets you import your save files from the original game which means that it will import all of the decisions you made in the original game. While the main plot will not drastically change, the experience most certainly will and that’s what makes Mass Effect 2 a unique and great experience.
 

One of the many aspects that sees major improvements in the sequel over the original is the combat. Now the game plays more like an intense third person shooter while also granting you the ability in tossing some great biotic powers instead of being a simple shooting game. There are six classes to choose from with each one of them has his own benefits. As an example, the Vanguard class can’t use sniper rifles at the beginning of the game while the Soldier class can. Also, your character biotic powers and abilities will change from a class to another. What has improved also in the sequel is the level design. Now, the levels in which you will be battling foes are designed as battlefields with more objects and larger areas to roam in. The inventory system has been revamped in the sequel as well. This time, you won’t get annoyed from managing the huge number of useless weapons and gears in your inventory. Instead, at the beginning of each mission you will be asked to choose which weapons you and your companions will be using during the mission.
 
 

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best looking games on Xbox360 and the best looking action RPG on any system thus far. The technical issues that bogged down the original game are things of the past; there is no texture pop up/in issues in the sequel and the game also runs at a steady frame rate. Mass Effect 2 has some of the best looking character models in any game especially for the non human character models. Technically, visually and artistically Mass Effect 2 is really something to behold. Also, the game has a great soundtrack and one of the best voice acting I have ever heard in any game. Mass Effect 2 presentation is stellar.
 

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games this generation and it really is a huge improvement over the original. The game looks great, plays great and has one of the most memorable stories in recent memory. This is a game you will playing multiple times because it’s fun and because it has tons of replay value. I highly recommend that you play through the first game before diving into the sequel as you won’t be enjoying the sequel as someone who did finish the first one. Mass Effect 2 is a masterpiece and I can’t wait to see what Bioware is going to do with the final game in this excellent trilogy.

 
 
Score: (9.6/10)
 
 

The game follows the story of Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem (yes, they are back) who are engaged in a routine mission in Shanghai. Everything goes as planned until a competing PMC attacks the city, causing mayhem and destruction and threatening Rios and Salem’s survival. The story in the sequel is really more of a survival story and about what happens to those characters in the process.

Moral choices are one of the new features in the sequel. At certain points in the game, during some cut scenes, you will be asked to make choices that will be impacting the outcome of the story, available equipment and how other characters see you in the world. While this isn’t something new, it’s a welcome addition to the series as it makes the story more dynamic and more involving. Though the story in the sequel is better than the original, it’s still average.
 

the basic gameplay mechanics haven’t changed too much from the original, but there are a lot of enhancements have been made to the core gameplay and weapons customization. You can now feign surrender in order to outflank the enemy, using human shields, sprint, select from more weapons and upgrades, add interchangeable upgrades between weapons and much more. You’re now equipped with a GPS, which can tag enemies and it gives you better understatement of the environment. Once an enemy is tagged you can see where they are, even if they duck for cover or hide behind walls. The Aggro system makes a comeback as well, and strategic play is a must if you want to survive in this game. Multiplayer in Army of Two: The 40th Day has improved. There are three modes for up to twelve players (four if you pre-ordered the game). Co-op Deathmatch, Control, Warzone, Extraction are all fun to play, but they don’t provide something new to the genre.
 

Playing the campaign mode cooperatively with a friend is still the best way to play the game. But if you want to play it solo, you won’t be disappointed because the partner A.I behaves in an intelligent manner. Enemies A.I doesn’t disappoint either, they will flank you, revive their fallen comrades and much more.
 
 

Visually, Army of Two: The 40th Day looks stunning. It’s one of the best looking games to be running on the Unreal Engine 3. The game has great looking textures, amazing particle effects, and detailed character models. Some imperfections like textures pop up/in do hinder the visuals quality a little bit. But if you are playing the game on Xbox360, I recommend that you install the game on the HDD which will fix the textures pop up/pop issue.
 

One aspect that disappointed me about the visuals is you see all of those scripted scenes where building collapses in front of your eyes, but you can’t blow up the environments. It would have been nice if the environments were fully destructible. The game has great voice acting as you will hear the voice actors deliver their lines expertly. The sound design is good as well. Also, the music in this game describes the situation at the screen perfectly.
 

Army of Two: The 40th Day is a great improvement over the original. The game looks sexy, sounds great and most importantly fun to play. If you’re a fan of the original or co-op play, get this game, it’s fun, but don’t expect something that will blow your mind.
 
Score: (8.0/10)
 

The game starts like this: You take on the role of War, who is one of the four legendary Horsemen of the apocalypse; the apocalypse has just taken place prematurely, and the world destroyed, and War finds himself tasked to find out who was behind this; caught in the heat of battle between angels and demons. You guessed it. Something not good is going to happen and a lot of unanswered questions will rise. The game’s story introduces themes like betrayal, vengeance, justice and it also depends on revelations to keep things interesting.
 
 

As you get deeper in the game, you will meet with some interesting characters that are going to help you in your journey. The first of those characters is The Watcher, he acts like Midna or the fairy Navi from the Legend of Zelda games. He guides you so you can accomplish certain tasks that need to be achieved in order to progress through the game. Another important character is Vulgrim. Feed his hunger for souls and he will feed your curiosity. He’s a greedy demon who provides you with various upgrades, items, and weapon moves during the game, in return for souls you get from your battles.
 

War has lost much of his power. As you progress in the game, you will get his powers back, and you will gain new items that will come in handy. Every new gear item you get in the game will be your tool to success. One of the first important gear items you will get in the game is the cross blade. The Cross blade is Darksider’s version of the Boomerang we knew from Zelda games. It can be used to solve puzzles by hitting objects/switches, and it can also be used as a weapon to hit enemies. Each of the gear items you get in the game can be used to interact with the game’s environment or solve puzzles, and they can also be used in combat.
 
 

The puzzles in this game are fun to solve; they aren’t very challenging to pull off, but they are satisfying. The game tune up its puzzle solving difficulty in the final dungeon, in which you will get a gear item that will grant you the ability to travel between portals. I had a very good time beating the final dungeon, it was cleverly designed and a lot of fun to beat.
 

Fighting in Darksiders is fun and enjoyable, as you will get new weapons and attack moves during your play through. War has some cool moves and a lot of gruesome finishers. Though the combat in Darksiders isn’t perfect. The controls aren’t very intuitive. As you will find yourself pressing a lot of buttons just to execute an attack move. Also, the dash or the evade move wasn’t very responsive. Sometimes, fighting get repetitive even after you get all of the weapons and all the different moves in the game. You will be pulling the same moves again and again.
 
 

Graphically, the game looks great. What makes Darksiders a beautiful game is its amazing artistic design. The game’s environments are colorful, varied and amazingly done. Also, characters and enemies design are superb. The acting and characters animation looks amazing during the game’s cut scenes, but not as fluid as you would hope for during gameplay segments. The voice acting in Darksiders is great and really make the game’s story very enjoyable to follow. The game has good soundtrack, it’s atmospheric and sometimes epic.
 

the developers at Vigil Games have had tried their best in mixing the best parts of what we love from our favorite games while also trying to make the game feel fresh and remarkable. Have they succeeded? Despite some issues in the combat system and not so great final boss fight, Vigil Games has created a worthy action-adventure game. If you are a fan of action-adventure games, you owe it to yourself to play this game because Darksiders is the start of a great franchise.
 
 

Score: (9.0/10)
 

Over the top action, Japanese pop music, and sexual themes are some of the things you are going to see in Bayonetta. Ok, we might have seen this before, so what is unique about Bayonetta then, you ask? The fact that Bayonetta has mixed these elements so brilliantly is a feat in its self, nothing feels forced, it’s all done naturally within the game. But this isn’t the full story here, playing Bayonetta makes you remember the fact that you are playing a videogame; it isn’t trying to be an epic movie, nor to be melodramatic.
 
 

The game’s story revolves around an amnesiac witch, who awoke after a 500 year sleep and found herself with no memories of who or what she is. As the story of the game progresses, she will start to get her memories piece by piece. The story in this game has some depth, and it will keep you interested until you see it through to the end. Some of the plot details in the game won’t be explained through the game cut scenes, so if you want to have a better explanation of Bayonetta’s world and story, you have to read the notes (Antonio notes) which are scattered within the game’s levels. Though, the game doesn’t take its self too seriously, the cut scenes are over the top and most of the time comical.

The gameplay in Bayonetta is what makes this game so enjoyable. As it features one of the best combat systems in the genre. Bayonetta, the game heroine can perform lots of devastating attacks. The list of moves in this game is impressive. With lots of combos and variations. “Witch Time” which activates when the player makes a well-timed dodge to an attack is a very great gameplay mechanism. This temporarily slows time to allow Bayonetta to inflict massive amounts of counter damage before the enemies can react. The game also has some very well animated finishing moves (Torture Moves) that can be triggered whenever the magic bar is filled. The game keeps things fresh by introducing new enemies and giving the player new tools to kill them. While the emphasis of the game is on the combat, there are some platforming and puzzle solving to be done. Puzzle solving in Bayonetta isn’t too complex, as they revolves around evading a bolt of lightning to activate “witch time” in order to reach some areas, or stepping on platforms to open doors. There are some segments in the game that resembles some of Sega classic games; one of these segments plays exactly like Yu Suzuki classic game, Space Harrier. Another segment puts Bayonetta to ride a motorcycle, which also resemble another cult classic, Hang On. these segments are fun to play, as they also provide a throwback to the golden age of Sega.
 

Now lets talk about the incredible boss fights in this game. The size of the boss enemies in this game are some of the biggest you are going to encounter in an action game. They are big, ugly, and a lot of fun to kill. One of my favorites boss fights in the game is the fight with the tentacled monster. In order to kill him, you have to get on one of his many heads and keep running until you arrive at his weak point (reminded me a bit of Shadow of the Colossus). Killing the Boss enemies isn’t a walk in the park in Bayonetta, as the bosses will give you some hard time, but at the same time these fights never feel cheap or unfair. The final blow to a monster boss won’t be a normal attack, as Bayonetta will summon one of her many monsters from her hair to kill the enemy for once and for all.
 
 

 
 

Killing the game’s enemies will make them drop some loots, the most important are Halos (Sonic precious rings anyone?). Halos are the game’s currency which can be used to purchase new items, moves and more. To do so, you have to visit Rodin, the owner of the Gates of Hell bar. Do you remember the freaky person who sells you items and upgrades for weapons in Resident Evil 4? Rodin acts like him in Bayonetta, in fact he drops a joke about this by saying “Whadya buyin? Heard it once in a game.” Another way to gain some halos is by finishing the game missions, the better you play, the more halos you will gain. It’s all depends on your performance. Between missions, you will play a shooting mini game. If you manage to win enough points, you can exchange these points with items or with more Halos.
 

Graphically, the game looks great with some cool environments to play in. The Character models are well detailed and enemies design are unique. Rain, heavy blowing wind, and incredible visual effects keep the game environments fresh and alive. The action in Bayonetta moves at a staggering speed and the game runs at a steady frame rate, but sometimes when the action get hectic, the frame rate dips a bit which results into some slowdown. Another annoying issue in the game’s visuals is the presence of screen tearing. Though these issues are there to stay, they don’t ruin the experience by any means. The game’s soundtrack is catchy and sometimes very epic.
 

It took me 13 hours to finish the game for the first time on Normal difficulty and that without finishing most of the side challenges in the game. There are 21 side challenges (Alfheim missions) and if you manage to do them all, you will unlock a Survival Mode (Lost Chapter – Angel Slayer) just like the Bloody Palace in Devil May Cry games. I have spent over 25 hours playing the game, and I still not getting tired of it. Bayonetta has tons of replay value.

Bayonetta is a great achievement. Kamiya and the folks at Platinum games have had created an amazing game with lots of action and great set pieces. Bayonetta is a breath of fresh air to the industry that gives more hope for what to come in the future. Action beat em up fans behold the new king of the genre, Bayonetta.
 

Update: The score has been updated. After playing the game multiple times, we felt that this game deserves a higher score because of the high replay value of the game. The original score was 9.4, now it’s 9.5.
 

Score: (9.5/10)

In my opinion this is where the hardest and the most critical part in the entire game, and I almost bet that everyone who has tried the game, either has continued or stopped playing the game after that point. Simply because it is hard to finish the first level without dying, and unless you are one of the hardcore gamers who enjoys challenging games such as Ninja Gaiden, you will end up confused and frustrated. But if you give the game a little more time you will play one of the best action RPGs ever made. And if you are a fan of Zelda games, then you will discover a new darker Zelda.
 
 

There is not much of a story in this epic journey, it is undemanding and brief. The depth of the game is found in the gameplay, online features and upgrades. But to make it simple and spoilers free, the story is about a king who channeled the power of the souls. Isolating his kingdom (Boletaria) by a thick fog, thus slaying demons will get you closer to overcome that fog.
 

The best thing about this game is its gameplay, it is very deep. No one could play this game unless he/she is willing to study all foes moves, to wait for the right moment with the right tool to strike. There are a lot of enemies in Demon’s souls and they keep coming even if you had beaten the chapter’s boss, the idea behind this is to dive into any chapter and start farming for souls in order to build up your weapons and character. If you get killed, then you will get back to the same spot to claim your souls. But if you fail and get killed before reaching that point, your souls will be disappeared forever.
 

Each of the playable characters or classes: Knight, priest, thief, magician, temple knight, soldier, wanderer, barbarian, royal and hunter can be male or female and it will not affect the story. However, it will affect the gameplay and each will have his or her strategy. The other important element in the game is world and character tendency, it is a bit complicated to understand at first, but you will get used to it if you know the drivers of the tendency. Killing demons and black phantoms offline or online would move your tendency and the world that you currently playing in towards white. But Killing harmless NPCs, invading other people/killing or getting killed in the world will move your world and character tendency towards black. In white tendency, foe are easier, but will drop less items and on the contrary. Black tendency will make foes much stronger, but with a higher drop rate of items. Each tendency has its own events: talking to some character, slaying some special demons and getting some particular items will require either a black or white tendency.
 
 

Other importing fact besides hunting souls is gathering stones, as you will need loads of stones if you want to upgrade your weapons and armors. Also, your character weight will play an important role in the game. So If your character weight is too heavy you will end up moving in a slow pace, in which it will affect your combat performance. The controls are great and once you get used to it, it will be easy to aim by pressing R3 near any foe you encounter. But at the same time the targeting system is not perfect. There are certain combos for each type of weapon. So, you will be experimenting with various weapons before you wield your weapon of choice.
 

The graphics are great, but they are not Uncharted 2 visuals. The characters and enemies’ design is top notch. However, it will not matter much in this game since you are going to be busy keeping yourself alive. There are some noticeable frame rate issues, but thankfully not to the extent of ruining the game. The game world design is unique with some great atmospheric environments. You will not hear any background music while you are playing through the game chapters, but only slashes of swords, bows and armors. Soundtrack is fresh and suits the game well. It’s dark and well picked to be side by side with each demon you will encounter.
 

The thing that really sets Demon’s Souls apart is how it handles multiplayer. Your choice of being a friend or foe will make your experience tense and dynamic. Black phantoms will hunt you either alone or with bunch of friends, either way you will have to be ready for them or just pull of the Internet cable and play offline. Red and white shadows you will encounter while you are playing online could give hints that you need in this game. Some people would enjoy helping out friends while other enjoy invading other worlds. The good thing about this feature is the fairness behind it. As people that invade you or people that you summon have to be in your soul range. So the only difference here is kind of magic weapon and strategy that you could do. There are some surprises, but thankfully there are few, some gamers would have much stronger weapons that they took from a friend by trading. Hence, if you have friends that own the game you should start negotiating.
 
 

The difficulty system in this game is harsh yet fair. But every time that you die, you die just because of your mistakes, and every time you die you will learn from your own mistakes until you master the game. Overall, the game is a lot of fun and enjoyable. So I will make it simple, it is a must buy for any action RPG gamer and for anyone else who consider himself/herself as a gamer, rent it and try to judge it after you finish the first boss. Demon’s Souls is just like any great movie, the beginning is a little bit boring then it will turn over into a piece of art.
 

Score: (9.2/10)
 
 

The sequel begins immediately after the events of Assassin’s Creed with Desmond staring at cryptic messages on his bedroom wall. Desmond and a fellow assassin Lucy Stillman escape from the lab to a nearby warehouse where Lucy reveals she and a new team have been working on a new device. Soon, you will find that this new device is an upgraded version of the Animus (Animus 2.0). Once you jump on the Animus 2.0, you will be sent to Italy during the Renaissance. From here, you will see the birth of Ezio, the protagonist of the game.
 
 

The purpose of the first couple of missions in the game is to familiarize the player with the basic gameplay elements and to introduce the player to Ezio’s family. After completing some errand missions for Ezio’s father, an unfortunate plot twist happens. As Ezio will witness the execution of his father and his bothers in front of his eyes. After that, Ezio plans to escort his sister and his mother to safety and to avenge his family loss. From here, the story gets more and more complicated, as you will see more plot twists and you will meet with new characters throughout the course of the game. When everything is said and done, the game’s story is more fleshed out than the original and very exciting to follow.
 

The game plays exactly like the first one, but with more things to do. The developers seems to have listened carefully to the community feedbacks. The huge selection of the missions and the variety of things you can do in the game is a huge improvement over the original. As an example, the new Assassin Tomb areas, which plays like Prince of Persia games are challenging and fun to play. The side quests are more varied with some old (from the original) and new mission types. Also, there is treasure chests to open, codex pages to collect, assassin crests to obtain and much more.
 

Another new feature in Assassin’s Creed II is the economy system which allows players to use an in-game currency to purchase items such as smoke bombs, healing potion, poison bottles, armors, swords and much more. Players may also hire mercenaries and women to distract guards. Further in the game, you will meet with uncle Mario who will introduce you to your new home, a small villa which will act as a home space, but can be upgraded to include doctors, shops and brothels. The more money you spend on the Villa, the more people will come to visit, and consequence to that more income to your pocket. While the investment system is not very deep, it’s a welcome addition to the series. Also, Leonardo da Vinci the infamous Italian figure plays a big role in the game, as he will supply Ezio with new tools and skill techniques to use in his journey.
 

Another new feature in the game is the notoriety system. A rounded meter at the top-left of the screen will show you how notorious you are. The less this notoriety meter is filled, the harder the task for enemies to spot you from the crowd. You can cool down the meter by performing various task such as removing wanted posters, bribing heralds, and killing officials.
 

What does make the game even a better experience are the great voice acting and the amazing soundtrack. The graphics in the game has improved from the original, and some locations such as the beautiful city of Venice will make you stop just to admire the views. But what has disappointed me regarding the game’s visuals are the character models. As you will see some characters lacking some facial expressions, in which it could lessen your immersion in the game.
 
 

Since Assassin’s Creed 2 gameplay focus too much on stealth, I think enemies A.I is an important segment I have discuss. While the developers of the game did a good job in implementing the enemies A.I in the game, I have witnessed some weird A.I behaviors from the enemies and some bugs in the game. I saw an enemy soldier walking on the edge of a house rooftop, then he suddenly fall of by himself and died. In another scene, I was chased by some soldiers and I climbed up a ladder, one of those soldiers climbed the same ladder, but he continued climbing up while he is floating in mid air.

Ubisoft did a very good job in delivering a better experience this time around. I played this game non stop and I have never felt bored while playing the game. If you liked the first one, then you will enjoy the sequel even more. But for anyone who didn’t like the original, the developers made a lot of changes that could change your mind. Assassin’s Creed 2 is a very enjoyable action-adventure game. The game’s great story, beautiful environments, great gameplay and the variety of things you can do in the game makes this game a must have title for anyone looking for an amazing action adventure experience. My advice to you: Get this game.
 
 

Score: (9.5/10)
 
 

Modern Warfare 2 is set five years after the conclusion of Call of Duty 4. The game begins in Afghanistan, where US Army Ranger Private Joseph Allen helps take an Afghan city from an army of militants. Impressed, General Shepherd recruits Allen as a CIA operative and places him in Makarov’s organization as an undercover operative. The game story does have some plot twists, some are predictable, some aren’t. But I found the story to be there only to keep you playing until the end. You won’t care much about the characters or the story. In fact, the only thing you will care about is the action, and that’s where Modern Warfare 2 doesn’t disappoint. The campaign delivers an intense experience with some great action sequences you shouldn’t miss. The whole campaign mode is split up into 18 missions, with each one lasting between 15-20 minutes. But if you play the game on higher difficulty settings, it will result into longer play time.
 
 

When you finish the campaign mode, there are two options that will make you coming back for more. The first one is the addictive cooperative mode, Special Ops. These independent missions (not related to the main story of the game) will take place in a variety of locations from the campaign mode and from the original Modern Warfare. Such missions will include snowmobile races, killing waves of enemies, moving from point A to point B stealthily, one player providing air support from an AC-130 with the other player conducting operations on the ground, capturing an enemy compound, and much more. The Special Ops mode may be played alone, but supports two player cooperative play; offline (Split screen) or online with your friends. When you finish one of those missions, you will get stars. To get more stars (the maximum number is three) you have to complete a certain condition such as finishing the same mission in a shorter period of time or to play the mission in higher difficulty settings. When you unlock enough stars, more and higher difficulty missions will be available to finish.
 

The second option is where millions of gamers will play non stop for the next couple of years. The online multiplayer mode of Modern Warfare 2 retains the same experience points and unlockable reward system as that of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but with exciting new improvements to the core system. The game multiplayer has improved in many aspects, as there are more weapons to use, more perks, and more kill streak rewards. Perks can now be upgraded through use and will eventually grant a secondary ability. Kill streaks rewards are now Customizable, which means that you can equip them as you see fit. Spec Ops and the online multilayer modes are addictive and lots of fun, and you will find yourself unable to stop playing.
 
 

The game graphics has improved since the original, as it uses an upgraded version of the engine that powered the first Modern Warfare. Better lighting, more realistic particle effects, and the amazing weather effects are some of these improvements. But the game does have some problem with shadowing, as you will see some pixelated shadows here and there. Especially for the game’s characters. The game runs at a sub HD resolution on consoles, but at the same time it maintains a stable frame rate throughout the whole game. Modern Warfare 2 is one of the best looking games this generation, and maybe the best looking multiplatform game thus far, but it falls behind some games such as Gears of War 2, Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2.
 

Hans Zimmer, the famed Hollywood composer has replaced another infamous musician Harry Gregson Williams (Metal Gear Solid fame) to produce the soundtrack for the game. As you would expect from him, the results are utterly amazing, as you will hear some epic pieces throughout the game.
 
 

Aside from the short campaign mode, the game is absolutely amazing. The intense campaign mode, the entertaining Special Ops missions, and the addictive multiplayer modes make this game one of the best games in 2009 and possibly the best FPS of this whole generation.
 

Score: (9.5/10)
 

While the game does have its share of drawbacks, the biggest problem is: my hopes for the game were very high. You may not face the same issue that I had encountered, but with that burden off my chest, I can continue my review without worrying much about that.
 

You will start the game as Eddie Riggs, a roadie, voiced by and modeled after Jack Black. After you finish watching the intro scene, Eddie will be transported into the heavy metal world with the help of the fire beast Ormagadon. Once you be able to move Eddie, you will be rushing to find a weapon to kill the red coated demons. You will get a broad axe and a guitar, the axe acts as your melee weapon while the guitar is your spell caster.

After a lot of slaughtering, you will meet Ophelia who will guide you towards Bladehenge, where the leaders of a small human resistance group. You will be able to go there by using The Deuce, a car that Eddie was able to create. From here, Eddie joins forces with the resistance group in order to defeat the evil being of this world Doviculus. The game story is well told with some nice twists and laughs and the excellent voice acting of the game characters helped the story to be even more exciting to watch.
 
 

Brutal Legend gameplay is mix up between action adventure and strategy. The game follows an open world structure with lots of side quests to finish. While some of the side missions are fun to play, there should have been more variety in mission types. To tell you the truth, Side missions such as ambushing enemies or racing from point A to B will get old after a while. I was expecting a better constructed or more creative side missions from Double Fine, but that wasn’t the case in Brutal Legend.

In the other hand, the main missions in the game is well constructed and more importantly fun to play. Most of the main missions in the game are stage battles based on real time strategy elements. The player will be required to defend a giant stage. Eddie can create an army for attacks by creating merchandise booths on fan geysers done by performing a summoning minigame akin to the note-matching aspect of Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Once enough fans are collected, Eddie can summon different units, each consuming a specific number of fans, or upgrade their stage to allow him to produce more powerful units. Enemies will try to destroy your booths in order to make these spots as their booths, which will lessen your fans amount and of course will prevent you from spawning more units. Most of the fun you are going to have in this game are from those missions, but the issue is you will not play a lot of these missions. As soon as you find yourself starting to enjoy the game, the end credits will start rolling before you know it. In my opinion, that’s one of the reasons that prevented the game from reaching its full potential.
 
 

By finishing missions and side quests, you will obtain tribute points. You can then visit The Keeper of Metal (Ozzy Osbourne) and exchange points for aforementioned weapon, combination, vehicle upgrades, special moves and additional items. The game doesn’t give you the motivation to upgrade, as you will be able to finish the game without so much investment in upgrades.
 

The multiplayer modes are team-based and play in the same manner as the single-player Stage Battles. Each team selects from one of three factions which affect what resources and troops they can summon, and are tasked with defending their stage from attack by the other team.
 

On the visuals side, the game is beautiful to look at. That’s due to the amazing visual style of the game world and the great looking characters. The game does have some frame rate issues, but it doesn’t ruin the experience. Another great thing you will notice about the game is the music. I’m not a big fan of metal music, but I really has enjoyed the great variety of tracks the game has offered. Sometimes I found myself riding The Deuce and traveling the game world just to listen to the great tracks from the game.

Brutal Legend is a unique experience that we don’t see often these days, but some issues has prevented the game from reaching the same level of quality we have used to see in Schafer’s previous games. I have enjoyed my time playing the game and I really recommend it for anyone looking for something refreshing. But don’t expect to see the best work from Tim Schafer in Brutal Legends, if you do so, you’ll not be disappointed.

Score: (8.4/10)
 
 

The first Forza game on the Xbox was Microsoft answer to Sony’s GT. The game was critically acclaimed and had managed to sell good amount of copies. It was the birth of a monster franchise that will get better with every new release.
 

Now, with the third entry in the series will be soon in your hands, the big question is: is the game worth the money and the hype? That’s why I’m writing this review to give you a better resolution about the game.
 

The first car you will drive in the game is Audi R8, the purpose of the first race is to familiarize the players with the controls and to introduce the ability of rewinding the race, more like a tutorial if you prefer. After finishing the first race, you will buy your first car. From here, your journey in owning every car and winning every race begins.
 
 

The progress in the game is like what you would expect from a driving simulation game. You will win a race, buy new a car or upgrading your current car, then you will be moving to the next race and you will repeat this process over and over again. Doing the same thing over and over again will make the game boring, isn’t that so? Nope, not in Forza 3 at least. Every car in the game is so enjoyable to ride from your typical Honda Civic to your favorite Bugatti; that’s because of the near perfect controls and the great sense of speed in the game. Thanks for the great physics in the game, as you will feel the difference from a car to another. Especially, if you turned off all of the driving assists in the game.
 

In addition of getting money by winning a race, you will also get experience points, which will raise your car level and your’s level (Driver level) as well. When you do that, you will raise your reputation, which will bring you rewards and discounts.
 
 

The game career mode is broken up into a series of seasons. Each season consists of multiple championship races. There is a period of time (two weeks) between each championship race. So, you will have the opportunity in participating in one of three events to pass the time forward to the next championship race. The career mode is a lot of fun and offers a good amount of challenge, but it may get a bit repetitive at the end for some, as you will race on the same laps often while playing the career mode.

There are many things to do in Forza 3, so if you start to feel bored from driving in the game, you can customize your car with your favorite decals and colors. The new Livery Editor will open a lot of room for creativity, as you can design your own decals and post them on the new online storefront. Also, you can set the prices for your decal designs to sell them to other players for the game currency. There is a rating system which will help you in finding the best decals that has been designed by the community.
 
 

Tuning your cars play an important role in Forza 3. You can tune your car with various parts to improve the car performance and handling. But if you find tuning your cars a hard task, don’t panic. The game offers an automatic upgrade system before you enter a race, which will make your car competitive for the race you has planned to participate in.
 

Forza 3 look great and sexy, but not mind blowing. The cars look stunning with lots of details. Cockpit view adds more diversity to the game, but the cars interiors could look a bit better. The tracks look great with some nice vistas to see, but some tracks look better than the other. The developers seems to have lessened the visual effects to run the game at 60 FPS. As you will not see a lot of dust or smoke behind your car when you race on the sidetracks. The damage system in the game add more realism to the game, but sometimes it look fake and not accurate. But really who cares about this when the game is so much fun to play.
 
 

There has been a lot of talk about if Forza 3 will live up to the hype or not. In some areas the game has exceeded expectations while in other areas fell a bit short of expectations. Forza 3 is a driving simulation for everyone. Its scalable difficulty, accessibility and the near perfect controls make it the best driving game ever made and the best Xbox 360 exclusive in 2009.
 
 

Score: (9.5/10)