Living LIVE 05.11.09: The 20th Edition!
Posted by Trace Aber on 05.11.2009
In our twentieth week, Living LIVE features in-depth reviews on Zombie Wranglers, Space Invaders Extreme, Clover, and four other games featuring an all-new review system. Plus, all of the latest movies, DLC, and events happening on the 360...this is Living LIVE!
Opening Comments
It's hard to believe that this is the 20th edition of Living LIVE, considering I've been going to 411Mania for years, but never thought of actually writing for the site. One night I saw they were looking for writers and I decided to send in a sample article. A few months later I'm on the 20th edition and getting a lot of great opprotunities coming my way and met some pretty cool people. Here's to far more than 20 more articles!
Been playing the new X-Men Wolverine Origins game (which has way too many words in the title) and it's really fun. I haven't played a beat-'em-up game in a while, so maybe it's not breaking new ground or anything but I've been having a blast with it. The attacks are all brutal and fun to watch, and the arena you can get is awesome. You basically get to make your own waves and enemies, giving you near-infininte replay value. The biggest downside to the game is that it can be buggy at times and sometimes without you even noticing it. I once spent forty minutes on a puzzle only to find out it was impossible to complete due to a glitch. Restarting the level did the trick however, so, while it's annoying, it's not the end of the world.
Call of Duty: World at War has found it's way back into my 360 lately, mostly for online multiplayer purposes. We've been playing it a lot on my friend's PS3 and we've reached prestige mode, so we're reverting back to my disc, and I'm only level 28, give or take. Still, COD:WaW may be the most engrossing and worthwhile experience found in an online first person shooter on the 360. Then again, I just like to level up things, so maybe I'm biased.
Before we begin the reviews, I want to mention that instead of simply going on the "avoid/get it" scale I will start using a 10-point scale for the reviews. The arcade games will have more in-depth reviews while the community games will still receive a more brief overview, but will still feature the 10-point scale. Also, the community games will be judged a little easier since they won't have the full resources that arcade releases get.
I'm Trace Aber and this is Living LIVE.
Game Marketplace - A weekly look at the arcade games, demos, and add-ons released this week.
Space Invaders Extreme (800MP)
Released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Space Invaders, Extreme adds high-def graphics and a few other bonuses in an effort to get you to spend 800MP. The game plays much like the original arcade game, though the first thing you'll notice is the music in the game. At first you'll like it and notice that, like a lot of downloadable games nowadays, the sound effects do their best to create a sort of song. Except this song is more irritating than anything and does not sound like the killing of an invading race and instead more like a terrible dance of acceptance and love. Thankfully you can turn it off, but why even include it if it's going to be so damn annoying? Honestly, it gave me a headache.
Graphically, the game doesn't look all that spectacular but there's only so much one can do in a game like Space Invaders. The enemies range in different colors and sometimes turn sideways, making it more difficult to hit them. The backgrounds of the levels are interesting and manage not to distract you but rather blend in and go with the flow of gameplay, which is a nice touch. The controls are simple, with A shooting and the analog stick moving you.
Clearly the coolest power-up - Laser Beam.
Some of the invaders have unique features that make them more difficult to kill than the other ones, including some that are extra big (and this take more damage) and have a shield, which also requires more damage. Other times the other enemies on the screen will surround the "boss" and sacrifice themselves in the hope of killing you. Some invaders will shoot lasers while others duplicate, but the most annoying ones are those who charge towards the ground once you hit them. Players will have to pay close attention to the background as certain words will become highlighted, such as "color." When that is highlighted, killing multiple enemies of the same color will get you bonuses, which can quickly increase one's score. Another bonus of shooting same-colored enemies is that for every four you kill you get one of four power-ups which include bomb, broad shot, shield, and my personal favorite, laser. Completing other tasks will take you to a bonus round, which can then lead to a Fever Time round, which allows players to get even more power ups and bonuses. The game features a total of 11 stages (with different routes for the gamer to choose) as well as multiplayer action. Locally and on LIVE, players can participate in four player co-op or versus mode, which is a nice touch. Rating (Out of 10): 7.8
ARKANOID Live! (800MP)
Another one from Taito, Arkanoid Live is a remake of the breakout-inspiried game from 1986. In it, you control the space vessel "Vaus," which looks almost exactly like a paddle. Then again, things were different in 1986, so what do I know? The sound in the game is can be described as dancing on a spaceship while taking a lot of LSD, so if that's your thing you'll love the sound. If not, it's still less annoying than Space Invaders. Once again, the game looks very basic but also very crisp, and like Space Invaders, there's not much more that can really be done with a game like this. The controls are even more simple than Invaders as all you really have to do is move, except during certain power-up situations (such as grabbing the ball and throwing it).
There are two different types of "rules" to play under, which are the Lives Rule and the Barrier Rule. In Lives, the game ends when the energy ball touches the bottom fo the screen and you have zero lives left. You're given the ability to gain extra lives by reaching a certain score. In Barrier, you start with a protective barrier that becomes weakened over time and the game ends when the ball passes through the barrier. There are also four types of blocks ni the game, which offer different amounts of points, multiple hits, and some that cannot be broken and others that move. The game also offers a variety of power-ups ranging from laser beams to the ability to have 7 energy balls bouncing around the screen, which means things can get pretty interesting at times. In total, there are 13 different power-ups to pick up and use. In addition to all of that, the game features various enemies that have different attributes about them and earn you points when shot.
Overall, Arkanoid, besides being a weird name, is a great remake of a solid game. The main problem is that while there has been a graphical update and a few new power-ups thrown here and there, you're still playing breakout and it's hard to get past that fact. Rating (Out of 10): 6.5
Zombie Wranglers (800MP)
Originally meant to be released last fall, Wranglers was seemingly left for dead during the whole Activision/Vivendi merger and it seemed as though we wouldn't be playing the game anytime soon. Deciding that it would be far more ironic to bring back the game from the dead instead of keeping it as such, Zombie Wranglers is, well, kind of a zombie in itself. Think of Wranglers as a zombie game for children.
You start off by picking one of four characters, each who have their own ranged weapon and wrangling device to, well, wrangle the zombie. Wny the town has decided to call four kids instead of, you know, anybody but four kids, is beyond me but that's what they've decided to do. Most of the missions in the game are, well, almost exactly alike. You will either have to kill a certain number of zombies, kill a specific zombie, or kill zombies for as long as the time is. And you will do this over the course of 20 levels, so as you can imagine the game gets rather repetitive and does so rather quickly. That's not even the biggest problem of the game, which I'll get to in a bit. Throughout the missions you can earn zombucks, which is the in-game currency and allows you to purchase power-ups and other items. You earn currency by wrangling zombies or finding money randomly in places such as trash cans. It's like those commercials about throwing away money, except doing it while zombies attacks. Seems even more wasteful.
Damn Skateboarding Zombies
Graphically, the game is blocky and reminds me of an old Playstation game I can't quite remember. It's not that it looks terrible, it's just that every level is pretty much exactly the same and the game gets bland very quickly. You honestly won't feel like you've played 20 unique levels, despite what the game tells you. I don't mind the music of the game, though the effects are just god-awful. Sometimes you'll laugh at how bad they are, which honestly doesn't bother me because if I'm laughing, I'm at least in some way, shape, or form entertained. It's the times that I'm not laughing that bother me.
The biggest problems with Zombie Wranglers, however, are the controls and the camera. The biggest problem in the game is that you can't move and shoot at the same time, which is one of the most frustrating things I think video game designers can do. Why is that not just the default option? This is a big problem in this game as you can be chased by a horde of zombies in small area and you just simply won't have time to stop, aim, then shoot. On top of all of that, the camera will flip to directly behind you everytime you attack an enemy, meaning you'll at least feel sick while playing this game at least once. The game thankfully offers a co-op mode which can make it a somewhat fun experience, but you're better off playing one of the many other zombie games out there in the market today. Rating (Out of 10): 5.0
Community Games
Pellmell (400MP)
Pellmell is a self-described "shootemup" game that has you running the title character through the training corridors with guns ablazing while combating against training droids. I wish I could tell you what Pellmell is training for, but the only way of figuring out the story is by reading a lot of small text, and given the size of the TV I review these games on, I'm not going to give myself a headache to read it.
The game looks good for a commmunity game and is honestly on par with some big-releases in the shootemup genre, so something defintely needs to be said for that. Pellmell, the enemies, background, and explosions all look great and never blend in with one another, which is very helpful in a fast-moving game like this. If you believe what the cover art of the game says, then the game features its own original musical score, which is a very nice touch and adds some originality to this game.
Buzzsaws are frequent in Pellmell
Pellmell is played from an overhead perspective as you guide him through a training facility filled with a multiude of enemies and traps. Some of the traps include buzzsaws and, well, I think they're just biggest buzzsaws, but you get the idea. One of my complaints with this game is that you have to first pick up ammo before you can begin shooting. I understand doing that for special weapons, but to me it seems silly to have to pick up your default ammo because sometimes the levels can get frantic and if you don't have ammo, you're basically running in circles and jumping up in down in hopes of beating the level somehow. Still, that's a minor complaint for what is otherwise a fun, frantic, and unique game that also features original graphics and sound. Featuring over 100 levels and local co-op, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better shootemup for 400MP. Rating (Out of 10): 8.2
Chalked (400MP)
There's two things I like - saving a city and destroying a city. In Chalked, I get to do both! Chalk is a unique, "race against the opponent" puzzle game that sees the player trying to achieve one goal while the computer does its best to achieve the opposite goal.
The game is very simple in its graphics, with everything being in shades of black and white. Rece, the developer, did a very good job of using simple colors to create a unique world that is both easy to navigate and different from other games, so major points for that. The sound in the game consists of one song that is terribly catchy and sounds like it is nothing more than a guy making noises with his mouth in a microphone and a few explosion sounds. Overall, the presentation is simple but effective.
Nothing like faceless, emotionless characters blowing up buildings.
If you decide to destroy the city, it is your goal to walk up to any of the thirty buildings in the level and enter them. Once inside, you must input a series of button commands to set up a bomb and blow up the building. This sounds simple enough, but you must also be on the lookout for the good guy who will be hunting you down at every chance he gets, which turns out is often. 10 buildings destroyed was my best, so it's not as easy as it sounds. If you want to save the city, you play the role of the good guy and look over the town while the computer tries to destroy buildings. This mode is the more difficult one I've found as you have to alert other good guys as to where the bad guys are, and it can get complicated. Still, both modes are extremely fun and simple to learn.
The biggest downside is that this game is only one player only. Give this four-player multiplayer local and co-op and this game would be one of the best community games I've seen. As is, it's still an extremely fun and unique game, though it doesn't quite live up to its potential. Rating (Out of 10): 7.5
Clover (400MP)
Clover takes place in a town that has been struck with poverty and a zero-tolerance policy for suspicious activity, or any sort of illegal activity such as tresspassing. Almost everyone in the town has fallen on hard times and Sam (the main character) is doing everything he can to maintani his orphan's allowance. As Sam, you'll be traveling town and completing various tasks for the townsfolk such as trying to find a carrot for a hungry resident. Set in medieval times, Sam has to compete with the monarchy while living in welfare, and the game features a lot of political themes. You can find out more about the history of the town by reading various newspaper clippings found throughout the game.
In the twenty columns I've posted, this is clearly the most depressing picture I've ever posted.
One of the major selling points of the game (or so says the developers Binary Tweed) is the artistic artwork and piano soundtrack. The two defintely blend well together to create the environment of the game, which is gloomy and borderline depressing. You won't be finding a lot of action in this game but you will be interested in the storyline and what happens next. It's hard to explain but games like this need to keep being made in order for the Xbox Community games to work out. I'm not saying they all have to be gloomy or depressing, but they need to be different, and that's what Clover brings to the table. If you're looking for a game that requires more thinking than action, and more plot than explosions, check this game out. Rating (Out of 10): 8.0
Halfbrick Echoes (200MP)
Halfbrick Echoes is one of the few games that I know of in which the developers of the game feature their names in the title. Arrogance aside, Echoes is a pretty unique action/puzzle game that has you collecting crystals while running away from your past. Man, these games have been pretty emotional this week.
The main goal of echoes is that you have to collect various crystals within a level. Sounds simple enough, until you learn that each crystal you grab creates a blue "echo" of you that follows your footsteps that you've taken throughout the course of the level. If you run into these echoes, you lose a life. While this may not seem all that difficult, things can get pretty crazy as the levels are designed to be small. This means you'll have to think ahead every step you take in order to avoid death. The game features a variety of seven power-ups, although the only one I could use within the time limit of the trial was an extra life powerup. There are also "safe zones" which, as you can imagine from the name, allows you a place to rest. With over 64 levels to play, there should be no shortage of replay value as I'm sure with the higher levels the puzzles can be quite difficult.
The artistic style works very well
Things looks pretty good, although, in what seems to be a theme today, there's not really a whole lot more they could have done with the graphics. The game is presented from an over-the-top perspective and the layouts of the map range from circles to guitars, so there's quite a bit of variety. As far as the sound goes, they work well with everything and do not get annoying, which is very nice given some of today's other games.
Overall, Halfbrick Echoes is a fun and unique puzzler that requires the player to constantly be on their feet in fear of trapping themselves with their echoes. It's a great idea and the execution is done very well, and with the variety and depth of the game there really isn't much to complain about. Rating (Out of 10): 8.5
Game Add-Ons
Fallout 3: Broken Steel (800MP)
You may have dealt the Enclave a serious blow at Project Purity, but their forces are still out there, and still pose a grave threat to the people and security of the Capital Wasteland. In Broken Steel, you'll continue your current Fallout 3 character past the events of Project Purity, and work with the Brotherhood of Steel to eradicate the Enclave threat once and for all. You'll travel to new locations like the Olney Powerworks, wield destructive new weapons like the Tesla Cannon, fight powerful new creatures like the Super Mutant Overlord, marvel at the destructive power of Liberty Prime, earn new Perks like the devastating Nuclear Anomaly… and play Fallout 3 all the way to level 30!
Rock Band
"Do You Want To" by Franz Ferdinand (160MP)
"Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand (160MP)
"Lucid Dreams" by Franz Ferdinand (160MP)
Franz Ferdinand Track Pack (440MP)
"The Banishment" by Prong (160MP)
"Idealistic Types" by Prong (160MP)
"Naked Eye" by Luscious Jackson (160MP)
"Drain the Blood" by the Distillers (160MP)
"Midnight Rider" by The Allman Brothers Band (160MP)
"Blue Sky" by The Allman Brothers Band (160MP)
"Smooth Criminal" by Alien Ant Farm (160MP)
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. - US Eagles (400MP)
Aardvark tactical striker. Fly the A-12 Avenger stealth bomber prototype or the reconnaissance variant based on the F-15, the Peak Eagle. - F-4 Phantom II (Boeing) - RF-15 Peak Eagle (Boeing) - A-12 Avenger II (Boeing) - F-111F Aardvark (Lockheed) - SR-71 (Lockheed)
Trivial Pursuit - TV Pack (400MP)
For the TV fanatic in everyone! Our new season of hundreds of fresh questions featuring all your favourite TV shows. Please note that this question pack requires a full version of the game.
LIVE Activity for week of April 27th
Xbox 360 Top Live Titles
1 Halo 3
2 Call of Duty: WaW
3 Call of Duty 4
4 Gears of War 2
5 UFC® 2009 Undisputed Demo
6 GTA IV
7 Left 4 Dead
8 FIFA 09
9 RESIDENT EVIL 5
10 Bionic Commando Multiplayer Demo
Top Arcade Titles
1 Cyber Troopers Virtual On Oratorio Tangram
2 Banjo-Tooie
3 Hasbro Family Game Night **
4 Castle Crashers
5 Peggle
6 Worms
7 OutRun Online Arcade
8 The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai
9 UNO
10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Classic Arcade
Original Xbox Top Live Titles
1 Halo 2
2 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
3 Counter-Strike
4 Fable
5 Conker: Live Reloaded
6 Splinter Cell Chaos
7 Doom 3
8 SW: Republic Commando
9 Star Wars: Battlefront
10 Burnout 3
Top Community Games
1 RC-AirSim
2 Rumble Massage
3 Aquarium HD
4 BluePrint Racer 4D
5 Tank Strike
6 Remote Masseuse
7 StrikeForce-Psi
8 DrumKit
9 Drum XPlosion
10 Let's Draw A Picture Together!
Video Marketplace
American High School (NA, 320MP) It's the final week of senior year at A.H.S., and everything is coming to a head: the popular girl (Jillian Murray) and her exhibitionist husband (Talan Torriero of LAGUNA BEACH) are headed for divorce. Her rich rival (Aubrey O¹Day of DANITY KANE) will do anything to be prom queen. Martin Klebba (PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN) is the pint-sized principal with giant-sized passions. And the sexy art teacher (Playboy Playmate® Nikki Ziering) has a creative way of providing inspiration. Can true love overcome horniness? Will graduation lead to the creepiest dad moment of all? And what is Las Vegas legend Trini Lopez doing here? Brian Drolet (THE HILLS) and Davida Williams (LIZZIE MCGUIRE) co-star in this uninhibited comedy about stripping down, hooking up and the unstoppable awesomeness that is AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL.
Tokyo Zombie (NA, 320MP) Tokyo Zombie is a horror-comedy manga about two blue-collar factory workers (who happen to be jiu-jitsu experts) dealing with a zombie uprising in Tokyo. When the story begins, Fujio and Mitsuo are dreaming of training in martial arts overseas and becoming famous. When they accidentally kill their overbearing boss, they decide to cover up the evidence and bury him at a man-made garbage mountain known as DARK FUJI. Unfortunately for them, the tons of rotting garbage have been contaminated with industrial waste…which, naturally, transforms the bodies of the dead into ravenous, flesh-eating zombies.
Wendy and Lucy (480MP, 320MP) Proving why she is one of the most highly-regarded auteurs of current cinema, Kelly Reichardt's (OLD JOY) subtle storytelling technique uses a formal minimalist style to weave together a unique emotional and political road film. Wendy Carroll (Michelle Williams) is driving to Ketchikan, Alaska, in hopes of a summer of lucrative work at the Northwestern Fish cannery, and the start of a new life with her dog, Lucy. When her car breaks down in Oregon, however, the thin fabric of her financial situation comes apart, and she confronts a series of increasingly dire economic decisions, with far-ranging repercussions for herself and Lucy. WENDY AND LUCY addresses issues of sympathy and generosity at the edges of American life, revealing the limits and depths of people's duty to each other in tough times.
Events
Monday: Music Monday - Lips
Tuesday: Family Game Night - Viva Pinata: Party Animals
Tuesday: Game With Fame - Billy Currington (Need for Speed: Undercover)
Wednesday: GamechiX Ladies Night - Gears of War 2
Thursday: Co-Op Night: Halo Wars
Thursday: Game With Fame - Silversun Pickups (Guitar Hero: World Tour)
Friday: Monsters Vs Aliens: The Video Game
Sunday: Community Playdates (Xbox Ambassadors) - Halo 3
Closing
Join us next Monday for more of the latest news, reviews, and downloads on Xbox Live! Any questions or comments can be posted below! Also, don't forget to bookmark 411 as your homepage, because, I mean, you come here everyday anyways. Just save yourself the trouble.
