Call of Duty: WaW Demo up on Live!

With only a few scant weeks to go before the next CoD hits us with another nostagic trip back to World War 2, the mulitplayer demo which I believe was the beta that most people have had access too is now up. So go download and kill some Japanese soldiers because what we need now is another game which prides itself on killing its fellow man.....whoah...calm down Ed. Anyway, its up on xbox live now if its your thing.

Super secret stuff for 2009

Microsoft UK Head of Gaming Stephen McGill has said that there are still "lots of great stuff" coming in 2009 that many people do not know about. They have just been quiet about it because they have been busy working on the Christmas lineup, and who would blame them?

"So obviously we've announced things like Halo Wars coming out in the Spring, Halo 3: Recon later next year, Resi Evil 5 is coming to the platform, (I'm) really excited about that. So I think we're very focused on what's coming out for Christmas, we've talked about things coming out early next year. Very soon at some point we'll have the exclusive content for Grand Theft Auto on Xbox 360. So there's lots of great stuff coming in 2009 that people know about. Lots more, I'm sure that they don't know about." McGill said.

Here's hoping that Alan Wake gets released sometime next year! More through the link courtesy of Videogamer

Street Fighter IV Release Date Announced!

Big news for Street Fighter fans as Capcom released infomation today that the game would be dropping on the 20th February. Also out a week before will be Bionic Commander and of course you already know that Resident Evil 5 is out on March 13th. More through this MCV piece.

Features cut from NXE?

Speaking to CVG Microsoft's Jerry Johnson said that the NXE is not finished yet and there are plenty more features still to come. ""There's still a lot of stuff we want to do," Johnson told CVG in an interview. "Half the things we wanted to do [in NXE] we cut out of the service." More through the link!

Fallout 3 Tops UK Sales Charts

Most likely suprising no one is the fact that Fallout 3 has hit #1 in the UK all formats charts. I am playing the game at the moment and it is certainly a great piece of work that will no doubt be game of the year for some people. The other games are as follows:





1. Fallout 3
2. Fifa 09
3. Wii Fit
4. Fable II
5. Pro Evo Soccer 2009
6. Farcry 2
7. Quantum of Solace
8. Mario Kart Wii
9. Saints Row 2
10. Lego Batman

Gears of War 2 Reviews Embargo Lifted!

The wait is almost over! This Friday, GoW2 will finally release and this writer for one cannot wait! The embargo is now gone and reviews have started popping up all over the internets. Here are a few for you to read to get yourself in the mood!

IGN - 9.5

Eurogamer - 9

TeamXbox - 9.8

Videogamer - 10

AMAZING STUFF!!

Price cuts?

With the recent price cut so fresh on the mind, people are already wondering when the next one is due? With Sony already declaring that they have no intention of cutting the price of the extravagant PS3 this Christmas, could Microsoft suprise us all with another price cut? According to the Xbox 360 UK boss Stephen McGill who was speaking to Videogamer stated that they were at a "great price now". More through the link.

The New Xbox Experience!

The NXE is coming on the 19th November whether you like it or not and I'm sure you've heard ALL about it already. But here are some videos of what it will look like when you first boot up your machine with the update fully installed. Also included in the videos are a quick run through of the new channels, the avatar creation process and my favourite part of the update. The installing of games onto the HDD. So head on over too The Digital Foundry and have a gander at what to expect come the 19th.

IF you are feeling bold and want to try out the NXE now then you may like to know that it has already leaked onto the internet thanks to hardcore hackers. But I must warn you that by updating your console now will disable Live access until the 19th and with GoW 2 literally a few days away, is it a risk you really want to take? This writer says NOOOOO....

Fable 2 Review: A Moden Day Fairy Tale

The first Fable is often considered to be one of the best games on the original Xbox so of course trying to do a follow up would be difficult. But after all the hype Peter Molyneux built up for Fable 1, would the sequel also fall short of greatness?



Liked:
The world in Fable II is fully dynamic, interactive and free roaming world with no set quest path to take. One choice early on for example can determine the future of a town. Do you give the warrents to the Sheriff thus making the town prosperous when you return as an adult or do you give it to the criminal and condemn the town to a slum ruled by the underworld?

The voice acting is perhaps one of the best I've ever heard in a game. It is delightfully British which pleases this writer no end and any game that features Stephen Fry as a vain and arrogant man is a winner in my book.

The graphics are something else. The amount of detail in every town, forest and smelly cave you explore is phenomenal. Any fans of Tim Burton would love how the art direction has gone with the sequel.

Disliked:
I don't know about you, but I do not enjoy silent protaganists (bar Gorden Freeman) as I can't seem to grow an emotional attachment to them. Your character can only communicate with others via expressions. For example; Thumbs Up, Come Back To My Place or Kiss My Arse. It seems slighty out of place for some reason in an otherwise excellent game.

The combat system is so simple. One button for melee, one for shooting and the other for magic. Peter Molyneux was harping on about the one button combat system but it just turns the game into a button mashing party.

Conclusion:
If you are a fan of RPG's then you cannot go wrong with this game. The game has been designed in a way that you will not have any difficulty finishing the game. With a death system so forgiving its as though the game makers wanted you to see the end (when your health is gone your character will keel over but after a matter of seconds will get back up again, albeit with a few battle scars). The game is so charming that you will spend many an hour just exploring every nook and cranny that albion has to offer. Perhaps taking a job at the local bar to earn some money for that next house you want to buy. This game will love you. Who will you be?

Open for business!

So after many months of "should I" "Shouldn't I" I have finally decided to start my blog on all things Xbox related. From here on out, you will find the latest news on the 360 as well as reviews of games that I have purchased and maybe even some interviews with some notable Xbox celebrities. This site will updated as much as possible and in the future I will have a "proper" website made. So for now, sit back and enjoy the rideeeeeeeee*....



*Ride may not actually be enjoyed by some people.