Top 10 Xbox
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Platform:
- XBOX360
- Release Date:
- 2009
- Rated:
- Member Rating:
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, developer Infinity Ward aims to ratchet up the intense first-person gunplay, graphical verisimilitude, and deep multiplayer experience that won the original title wide acclaim from critics and consumers alike, while at the same time adding to the overall package with the new, fast-paced "SpecOps" mode. The single-player campaign picks up where Call of Duty 4 ended, with gamers once again descending into the shadowy world of terrorists, arms dealers, and nationless armies. Players take on the role of Sergeant Gary "Roach" Anderson, an elite member of the multinational Task Force 141 and subordinate of one of Call of Duty 4's protagonists, John "Soup" MacTavish.
Task Force 141 is on the trail of Vladimir Makarov, a maniacal disciple of Imran Zakhaev, who has used the death of his mentor as a means of expanding his own base of power. Missions find gamers working off sketchy intelligence as they battle whiteout conditions in the jagged mountains of Russia and Kazakstan, shuffle though expansive desert and cave environments in Afghanistan, and weave between City of God-like Brazilian slums, where misfires result in dead civilians and a failed mission. As was the case in Call of Duty 4, Modern Warfare 2 supplies players with the most technologically advanced weapons, vehicles, and accoutrements available, including SCAR-H rifles, snowmobiles, and heartbeat sensors.
The new "SpecialOps" mode brings gamers more than 20 fast-paced missions inspired by the frenzied mid-fuselage gunfight at the end of Call of Duty 4. Players find themselves racing snowmobiles, battling a huge number of enemies at once, or simply attempting to get in and out of a building without dying, and missions can be played solo, in local split-screen co-op, or online with a friend. Those looking for more online action can also take on the "Free-for-All," "Demolition," "Domination," "Search & Destroy," "Capture the Flag," and "Team Deathmatch" multiplayer modes.
The much-lauded RPG-like system of doling out experience points and unlockable rewards returns in Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer modes, but Infinity Ward has also included a number of new wrinkles to spice up the action. Maps are designed to be both more expansive and more vertical; weapons feature a variety of new attachments; new "Pro Perks" let players gain more stopping power, greater speed, or automatic health boosts; and gamers who manage to string together a number of kills gain access to the new "killstreaks" system, which lets them call for seven different kinds of heavy-duty support, including supply drops, helicopter gun attacks, and unmanned aerial vehicle strikes. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide
Task Force 141 is on the trail of Vladimir Makarov, a maniacal disciple of Imran Zakhaev, who has used the death of his mentor as a means of expanding his own base of power. Missions find gamers working off sketchy intelligence as they battle whiteout conditions in the jagged mountains of Russia and Kazakstan, shuffle though expansive desert and cave environments in Afghanistan, and weave between City of God-like Brazilian slums, where misfires result in dead civilians and a failed mission. As was the case in Call of Duty 4, Modern Warfare 2 supplies players with the most technologically advanced weapons, vehicles, and accoutrements available, including SCAR-H rifles, snowmobiles, and heartbeat sensors.
The new "SpecialOps" mode brings gamers more than 20 fast-paced missions inspired by the frenzied mid-fuselage gunfight at the end of Call of Duty 4. Players find themselves racing snowmobiles, battling a huge number of enemies at once, or simply attempting to get in and out of a building without dying, and missions can be played solo, in local split-screen co-op, or online with a friend. Those looking for more online action can also take on the "Free-for-All," "Demolition," "Domination," "Search & Destroy," "Capture the Flag," and "Team Deathmatch" multiplayer modes.
The much-lauded RPG-like system of doling out experience points and unlockable rewards returns in Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer modes, but Infinity Ward has also included a number of new wrinkles to spice up the action. Maps are designed to be both more expansive and more vertical; weapons feature a variety of new attachments; new "Pro Perks" let players gain more stopping power, greater speed, or automatic health boosts; and gamers who manage to string together a number of kills gain access to the new "killstreaks" system, which lets them call for seven different kinds of heavy-duty support, including supply drops, helicopter gun attacks, and unmanned aerial vehicle strikes. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide
Left 4 Dead 2
- Platform:
- XBOX360
- Release Date:
- 2009
- Rated:
- Member Rating:
Four weary humans work together in an apocalyptic world overrun by grotesque zombies, collectively known as the "infected," in this sequel to 2008's third-person shooter, Left 4 Dead. In addition to the new protagonists and five new campaigns, the game offers more enemy types to battle and adds a slew of weapons to improve your chance of survival. Joining the hunters, tanks, smokers, and boomers from the first game are jockeys, chargers, and spitters. Jockeys are short creatures that leap on the backs of characters and steer them toward dangers. Chargers are hulking brutes that run quickly toward characters and use their powerful arms to slam victims to the ground. Spitters spew out projectile acid that can also form deadly pools on the ground.
Each campaign area, ranging from a Coney Island-style amusement park to a Louisiana bayou, also contains distinct enemies to face. The "Dark Carnival" campaign, for example, features zombies wearing clown makeup, while "Swamp Fever" features creatures known as mudmen. New weapons and tools include a katana, baseball bat, grenade launcher, hand axe, Desert Eagle, military sniper rifle, chainsaw, MK17 assault rifle, and a defibrillator to revive fallen foes. In addition to the co-op campaigns and both the survival and versus modes from the original, Left 4 Dead 2 introduces a new multiplayer mode entitled "scavenge." As a survivor, your goal is to locate and collect 16 gas cans on each map before time expires, all while user-controlled members of the infected try to thwart your progress. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Each campaign area, ranging from a Coney Island-style amusement park to a Louisiana bayou, also contains distinct enemies to face. The "Dark Carnival" campaign, for example, features zombies wearing clown makeup, while "Swamp Fever" features creatures known as mudmen. New weapons and tools include a katana, baseball bat, grenade launcher, hand axe, Desert Eagle, military sniper rifle, chainsaw, MK17 assault rifle, and a defibrillator to revive fallen foes. In addition to the co-op campaigns and both the survival and versus modes from the original, Left 4 Dead 2 introduces a new multiplayer mode entitled "scavenge." As a survivor, your goal is to locate and collect 16 gas cans on each map before time expires, all while user-controlled members of the infected try to thwart your progress. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Assassin's Creed II
- Platform:
- XBOX360
- Release Date:
- 2009
- Member Rating:
Single-handedly take out well-guarded targets through a combination of stealth and acrobatic maneuvers in this anticipated sequel to 2007's Assassin's Creed. Featuring a new protagonist in a different era, you'll control a young nobleman named Ezio Auditore da Firenze in 15th century Italy, at the height of the Renaissance. After a tragic event befalls his family, Ezio trains to become a master assassin, looking to exact his revenge on those responsible. Ezio will explore three sprawling cities, countryside, and various small villages while completing objectives during the day or at night. Assassin's Creed II offers three times the mission types found in its predecessor, with more things to see and do within each setting.
Money is now an important part of the game, allowing Ezio to purchase weapons, clothing, armor, repairs, and decorative items for his Italian villa. Ezio can pickpocket people, search for hidden chests, and complete side missions to fill his coffers. Other key changes include Ezio's ability to swim and even soar through the sky thanks to friend Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine. The open-ended world also allows for more free-running, climbing, and leaping from great heights. Among the new weapons at Ezio's disposal are pikes, maces, war hammers, scimitars, axes, and twin wrist-mounted blades that can be used to kill two people at once. Updated combat techniques include the ability to grab, kick, head-butt, drown, disarm, or pounce on enemies. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Money is now an important part of the game, allowing Ezio to purchase weapons, clothing, armor, repairs, and decorative items for his Italian villa. Ezio can pickpocket people, search for hidden chests, and complete side missions to fill his coffers. Other key changes include Ezio's ability to swim and even soar through the sky thanks to friend Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine. The open-ended world also allows for more free-running, climbing, and leaping from great heights. Among the new weapons at Ezio's disposal are pikes, maces, war hammers, scimitars, axes, and twin wrist-mounted blades that can be used to kill two people at once. Updated combat techniques include the ability to grab, kick, head-butt, drown, disarm, or pounce on enemies. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Halo 3: ODST Single Player Campaign
- Platform:
- XBOX360
- Release Date:
- 2009
- Rated:
- Member Rating:
Microsoft and Bungie's blockbuster sci-fi shooter series continues with this standalone expansion to Halo 3. Battle through an all-new campaign as an ODST, short for Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, in a story line that serves as a prequel to the events chronicled in Halo 3. Your mission is to locate the remaining members of your squad somewhere within the Covenant-besieged city of New Mombasa. A new multiplayer mode entitled "Firefight" is introduced, where up to four players must work together to repel increasingly challenging waves of enemies. A second disc is home to a total of 24 multiplayer maps, three of which are new, with the remainder comprised of the "legendary," "heroic," and "mythic" Halo 3 map packs that were previously available as downloadable content via Xbox Live. Initial runs of Halo 3: ODST also include a key to the multiplayer beta of the franchise's next anticipated entry, Halo: Reach. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide
Brütal Legend
- Platform:
- XBOX360
- Release Date:
- 2009
- Rated:
- Member Rating:
Brütal Legend is an unholy action-adventure, through a surreal world brought to life from heavy metal album cover art. From a trailing third-person perspective, players take the role of Eddie Riggs, a rock & roll roadie extraordinaire, who has been mystically transported through time and space to the Age of Rock. There, among the expanses of impossible Gothic architecture and sky-high mountains of bones, metal-hating demonic overlords seek to enslave the remaining pockets of humanity that resist them. Fulfilling an ancient prophecy, Eddie wields three great weapons in his war against this demonic oppression: A huge, double-bladed battle axe called "The Separator" allows him to perform powered-up combo attacks. His Flying V guitar, named "Clementine," gives Eddie the ability to shoot electricity or shake the earth with special power chords. To get from place to place -- and plow down enemies along the way -- Eddie rides a customizable hot rod called "The Deuce." He built the car himself, by deciphering hieroglyphics left behind by the Gods of Rock, who created the world eons ago.
The game is played in a large world that is mostly open but full of danger. The story progresses as Eddie completes missions, defeating boss enemies, driving through tricky areas, and solving 3D platform puzzles in set locations. Combat involves powered-up combos, making use of both the axe and the guitar in melee and short-distance attacks. A target-lock feature allows players to move and switch weapons while keeping an enemy in focus. Although most creatures he meets in the Age of Rock try to destroy him on sight, Eddie does make a few human friends in his quest, including Ophelia, who helps introduce him to the strange world, and Lars and Lita, who immediately recognize his rock & roll greatness. He can team up with each ally to perform a different special attack. Eddie can also use the power of rock to control near-mindless minions, which group together in factions aligned to different subgenres of heavy metal music. A competitive online "Battle of the Bands" multiplayer mode involves summoning minions for small-squad, real-time strategy skirmishes.
Musician and actor Jack Black provides the voice for Eddie Riggs, and the character's facial features (though not so much his physique) are based in part on Black's, as well. Other musicians, including Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, and Ozzy Osbourne, also voice characters in the game. The soundtrack includes more than 100 songs from at least 75 different bands, including Black Sabbath, Def Leppard, KMFDM, Ministry. Megadeth, Mötley Crüe, The Scorpions, and Quiet Riot, intended to represent fan favorites and mainstream hits from essentially every subgenre of metal music. The game was developed by Double Fine Productions, led by Tim Schafer. Schafer helped create golden age LucasArts adventure games, such as The Secret of Monkey Island and Full Throttle, before founding Double Fine in 2000 and producing the widely acclaimed Psychonauts in 2005. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
The game is played in a large world that is mostly open but full of danger. The story progresses as Eddie completes missions, defeating boss enemies, driving through tricky areas, and solving 3D platform puzzles in set locations. Combat involves powered-up combos, making use of both the axe and the guitar in melee and short-distance attacks. A target-lock feature allows players to move and switch weapons while keeping an enemy in focus. Although most creatures he meets in the Age of Rock try to destroy him on sight, Eddie does make a few human friends in his quest, including Ophelia, who helps introduce him to the strange world, and Lars and Lita, who immediately recognize his rock & roll greatness. He can team up with each ally to perform a different special attack. Eddie can also use the power of rock to control near-mindless minions, which group together in factions aligned to different subgenres of heavy metal music. A competitive online "Battle of the Bands" multiplayer mode involves summoning minions for small-squad, real-time strategy skirmishes.
Musician and actor Jack Black provides the voice for Eddie Riggs, and the character's facial features (though not so much his physique) are based in part on Black's, as well. Other musicians, including Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, and Ozzy Osbourne, also voice characters in the game. The soundtrack includes more than 100 songs from at least 75 different bands, including Black Sabbath, Def Leppard, KMFDM, Ministry. Megadeth, Mötley Crüe, The Scorpions, and Quiet Riot, intended to represent fan favorites and mainstream hits from essentially every subgenre of metal music. The game was developed by Double Fine Productions, led by Tim Schafer. Schafer helped create golden age LucasArts adventure games, such as The Secret of Monkey Island and Full Throttle, before founding Double Fine in 2000 and producing the widely acclaimed Psychonauts in 2005. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
Borderlands
- Platform:
- XBOX360
- Release Date:
- 2009
- Rated:
- Member Rating:
Borderlands is a far-out first-person shooting and driving game with a penchant for team-based tactics. The game is designed to be played cooperatively, by a team of human- or computer-controlled characters. Set on a science fiction frontier planet where anarchy rules, the action-adventure casts the player as a mercenary character of one of four basic types: A well-rounded soldier skilled with weapons and vehicles, a hulking berserker specialized in heavy weapons and up-close melee combat, a stealthy siren with the power to disable enemies and vanish from view, and a sniping-specialist hunter with a pet hawk that helps in battle. The characters have complementing strengths and weaknesses, so in campaign missions as well as in pick-up battles, there are advantages for different character types that work together as a balanced team
In the main campaign, players fight through rewarding missions in the wilds of the desolate planet, engaging in high-speed vehicular battles and small-squad combat through sophisticated settings in which solid recon and tactical planning win the day. Characters gain experience and level up, with customizable ability improvements as in a traditional role-playing game. With interchangeable parts, thousands and thousands of different possible weapons are available in Borderlands, and a character's proficiency and accuracy chances rise with repeated use of a certain weapon type. Resources such as ammunition and cash are shared among the squad, but the weapons and armor pieces that drop from fallen enemies may be up for grabs. In some multiplayer modes, characters on the same team can duel one another for the right to claim gear from a slain monster.
Designed for play on Internet-connected consoles and computers, the game features multiplayer combat with the four basic character archetypes in quick, online pick-up games. The high-def art style portrays eccentrically geared, slightly exaggerated human forms, in a land of rich, gritty textures, with a hint of an outline drawn around people and objects, for the appearance of a graphic novel come to life. Borderlands was developed by GearBox Software, the studio behind the Brothers in Arms World War II games, acclaimed for their realistic portrayal of squad combat and historical accuracy of weapons and vehicles in fine detail. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
In the main campaign, players fight through rewarding missions in the wilds of the desolate planet, engaging in high-speed vehicular battles and small-squad combat through sophisticated settings in which solid recon and tactical planning win the day. Characters gain experience and level up, with customizable ability improvements as in a traditional role-playing game. With interchangeable parts, thousands and thousands of different possible weapons are available in Borderlands, and a character's proficiency and accuracy chances rise with repeated use of a certain weapon type. Resources such as ammunition and cash are shared among the squad, but the weapons and armor pieces that drop from fallen enemies may be up for grabs. In some multiplayer modes, characters on the same team can duel one another for the right to claim gear from a slain monster.
Designed for play on Internet-connected consoles and computers, the game features multiplayer combat with the four basic character archetypes in quick, online pick-up games. The high-def art style portrays eccentrically geared, slightly exaggerated human forms, in a land of rich, gritty textures, with a hint of an outline drawn around people and objects, for the appearance of a graphic novel come to life. Borderlands was developed by GearBox Software, the studio behind the Brothers in Arms World War II games, acclaimed for their realistic portrayal of squad combat and historical accuracy of weapons and vehicles in fine detail. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 Featuring ECW
- Platform:
- XBOX360
- Release Date:
- 2009
- Rated:
- Member Rating:
Three branches of big-time wrestling action collide in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 Featuring ECW, the 11th full title in THQ's sports entertainment series. As in earlier games, players can create a custom wrestler character, choosing the looks, style, moves, and entrance. WWE 2010's "Story Designer" mode allows players to create custom stories for their characters as well, with more control over events, length, and outcome than available in the story-scripting modes of previous games. In the high-def console versions of the game, the "Create-a-Wrestler" mode features 3D apparel that moves with the character wearing it. Players can also use a built-in paint tool to create custom logos and tattoos. Matches can be recorded, and highlight reels of the wrestler's best moves can be incorporated into the character's entrance, or shared online with other players. The game also includes 60 real-life WWE superstar wrestlers, divided into brand-based rosters: "Raw," "SmackDown," "ECW," "WCW," "Legends," and "Free Agents." The game's WWE Rivals feature also allows players to customize the enmity or amiability between featured superstar wrestlers. Rivals may appear unexpectedly during matches, to interfere and cause trouble, just as allies may appear to lend a hand in an important bout. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
Forza Motorsport 3
- Platform:
- XBOX360
- Release Date:
- 2009
- Member Rating:
Microsoft's premiere driving simulation series revs up with its second high-definition release for Xbox 360, Forza Motorsport 3. The third in the series enhances or improves upon nearly all the key features of earlier games, while adding new driver-assisting functions to make play more accessible to a wider audience. Central to Forza 3 are detailed, virtual re-creations of more than 400 models of automobile, from 50 different manufacturers. Races may be run on more than 100 tracks, including old favorites and some new to the series, based on actual locations around the world. Graphically, the cars are built from over ten times the number of polygons used to create the cars in Forza 2. The game's physics model refines the systems used in the previous game, and developers worked with other driving-game experts as well as with representatives of several auto manufacturers, in their efforts to build-in authentic cause-and-effect elements in minute detail.
For more casual drivers, Forza 3 offers features such as auto-braking and computer-assisted tuning, allowing for a freer driving experience without the constant danger of a crash around each tight corner, or concerns about inefficient settings for the current road conditions. When accidents do happen, the game's new "rewind" feature allows the player to stop, roll back time, and try again. Meanwhile, the hardest-core of driving aficionados can eschew the computer assistance for realistically demanding experience, just as gearhead gamers are free to do their own custom tuning, with the ability to make essentially any adjustment to their virtual auto that could be made to its real-life counterpart, for realistic performance tweaks. Xbox Live-connected Forza 3 players can race against others online in a selection of events, and show off their favorite tunings and custom paint jobs. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
For more casual drivers, Forza 3 offers features such as auto-braking and computer-assisted tuning, allowing for a freer driving experience without the constant danger of a crash around each tight corner, or concerns about inefficient settings for the current road conditions. When accidents do happen, the game's new "rewind" feature allows the player to stop, roll back time, and try again. Meanwhile, the hardest-core of driving aficionados can eschew the computer assistance for realistically demanding experience, just as gearhead gamers are free to do their own custom tuning, with the ability to make essentially any adjustment to their virtual auto that could be made to its real-life counterpart, for realistic performance tweaks. Xbox Live-connected Forza 3 players can race against others online in a selection of events, and show off their favorite tunings and custom paint jobs. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
NBA 2K10
- Platform:
- XBOX360
- Release Date:
- 2009
- Rated:
- Member Rating:
Following the top-rated simulation-style NBA game on PlayStation and Xbox consoles in previous years, the 2K Sports series expands to play its pro basketball on Wii and PSP with NBA 2K10. Across all platforms, the game retains the basic flow and feel of the 2K series' play style on the court, while refining league management features and adding new presentational elements intended to bring NBA authenticity. The series' Signature Play system builds on the player-specific styles featured in earlier games. New Signature Tendencies influence player decisions in the heat of the moment. The 2K Sports "Association" franchise mode returns, offering almost complete control over trades across the league. NBA 2K10 also provides new defensive controls, which allow gamers to take charge of pressure, off-ball positioning, and shot blocks.
For gamers who prefer to see themselves as the heroes of the hardwood, an enhanced "My Player" mode allows the custom creation of an NBA superstar-to-be, who can begin in summer training camps and try to earn a starting position on a favorite pro team. For Internet-connected gamers, NBA 2K's suite of online features keeps the virtual league coordinated with real-world events. The "NBA Today" in-game rundown reports up-to-date wins, loses, and other news. Through the series' "Living Rosters" features, a team of expert sports analysts streams roster changes, trades, injuries, and player ratings. Released in autumn 2009, NBA 2K10 represents the tenth season of the basketball series, with developer Visual Concepts creating the Dreamcast-exclusive original NBA 2K a decade earlier. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
For gamers who prefer to see themselves as the heroes of the hardwood, an enhanced "My Player" mode allows the custom creation of an NBA superstar-to-be, who can begin in summer training camps and try to earn a starting position on a favorite pro team. For Internet-connected gamers, NBA 2K's suite of online features keeps the virtual league coordinated with real-world events. The "NBA Today" in-game rundown reports up-to-date wins, loses, and other news. Through the series' "Living Rosters" features, a team of expert sports analysts streams roster changes, trades, injuries, and player ratings. Released in autumn 2009, NBA 2K10 represents the tenth season of the basketball series, with developer Visual Concepts creating the Dreamcast-exclusive original NBA 2K a decade earlier. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
