Living LIVE 05.25.09: The 22nd Edition
Posted by Trace Aber on 05.25.2009
Reviews of Gel, Blazing Birds, GravSheep, What The!?, and Steamline. Plus, information on the Halo Wars DLC and much, much more!
Opening Comments
I write this with a slight hangover after two nights of partying and generally poor decisions in regards to the well-being of my body. But, then again, why be in college if you're going to screw around and not party?
Most of my week gaming-wise has been dedicated to the excellent UFC Undisputed. Career mode is an absolute blast, though the menu music gets annoying and gets there fast. My biggest, and only real complaint, are the super-long loading times, with each menu needing to be loaded. Other than that, this game is a must-buy.
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.
Blazing Birds (400MP)
Blazing Birds is another game from the DreamBuildPlay contest Microsoft had a while back, with the other release being The Dishwasher. Instead of killing well-dressed men with guns, you'll be a robot playing badminton. So, you know, regardless of gameplay, Blazing Birds is offering you an experience that I'm pretty sure has never been done before, so the game has that going for it.
The game follows standard badminton rules, except instead of humans you have robots and because there are robots you get powerups. You have power ups such as the meteor strike and hyper space, which generally make it harder for the opponent to defend against the shot. The trigger and bumpers act as the control scheme, with varying shots from short, medium, long, and auto ranges, with the right analog stick being your aim. This scheme, while simple, works very well and is pretty easy to remember which shot does what. You can also perform smash moves if the bird is above the smash line, which as you can imagine makes it difficult to defend. You can play two different styles of games, one being an elimination mode and the other being arcade in which you take on 20 progressively harder AI-opponents. There are multiplayer modes, but for some reason there is no LIVE support, which really hurts the game a lot.
Finally we can see who would win in a game of Badminton - India or the Netherlands
Graphically, the designs aren't terrible but they aren't eye-catching either. The robots are rather flat and the backgrounds very rarely make sense. Not just in the context of the game...I simply don't understand what the hell is going on sometimes. Despite the lack of a graphical theme, the audio is decent and the music is likeable, so the audio/video department is a mixed bag. Blazing Birds has a few problems but overall is just a simple badminton game with powerups. I did enjoy myself while playing, but it's hard to imagine me actually purchasing and playing this game with my friends. Badminton is just...honestly, who plays badminton? Rating (Out of 10): 6.0
Gel (800MP)
Gel has you controlling a creature that kind of looks like a rat and an aardvark and is a block-moving puzzle game that features good visuals and a wide variety of levels to play and enjoy. The basic premise of the game is that you clear blocks by moving them into groups of four or more, which give you stars. The stars you gain allow you to purchase items to customize your character. Developers at the Gastronaut Studio decided that the premise needed to be tweaked a little, so they made it that when you group blocks together they slowly melt, giving you time to move one of them to another area to start a chain reaction. It's a little complicated at first but makes for a unique and interesting challenge that really adds a lot to the tired genre, something I always approve of.
You have two primary modes, being Action and Puzzle. In Action you are in a race against the clock, well, more like a tank, that is moving behind you as you frantically attempt to eliminate blocks that stand in the path. For some reason, if the tank runs over the jelly-like blocks, it gets damaged. I guess it's that whole suspension of belief thing that we are sometimes required to use in video games. Puzzle mode is a bit more laid back, featuring over 120 levels of brain-teasers. Each level also features a "par" system in which you try to complete the puzzle in as few moves as possible, and they can get quite challenging, even after learning the game mechanics. There are also three different battle-type modes for co-op (local and online), featuring fever points, volleybomb, and emblems. These are a nice touch but serve more as distractions to the main game more than anything.
Battle mode in action
The game has a unique visual style that may not be everyone's cup of tea. I enjoy it and, coupled with the music, the game has a very vibrant, cheerful, and laid-back vibe that really compliments a puzzle game like this. Sometimes the graphics and sound of a game can have a major impact on the overall enjoyment and Gastronaut Studios did a great job here. For puzzle fans, this is a great game with tons of levels, great mechanics, and plenty of fun to be had all around. Rating (Out of 10): 8.0
Community Games
GravSheep (200MP)
GravSheep is the community version of Capcom's Flock!, in a nutshell. The idea is the same - you are a spacely-being herding sheep for whatever reason, except GravSheep makes it a bit more difficult and less appealing. You control a Robot Sheepdog by using the analog sticks for boost and thrust. You follow the sheep around and lead them to the goal, much like Flock. Another similarity to Flock is that the sheep getting really annoying sometimes and you feel like it's impossible to get past the level because of poor sheep AI, which honestly is something I never thought I'd say. Sheep AI.
While flying, you must watch your fuel and your health. Luckily there are powerups to aid you in your quest, but this does add an element of strategy to the game, though at times it feels as though the fuel is almost too scarce in the game. That, or I'm just bad at it - either one could apply. You lose health by hitting the edges of the level, which displays a bunch of white and red stuff flying everywhere. This leads me to believe that the edges are covered in tiny chainsaws that destroy all who touch it, which makes this a damn-dangerous job. There are forty levels, with some of the levels being billed as "epically huge," though they spelled epically "epicly."
Blood looks so different in space
The graphics are basic and not that interesting, but the sound is very good. It features a cool techno track in addition to spacey-sound effects, which does help out a lot. Seeing as how this is Flock-lite, it does stay true to the formula while changing enough around to make it stand out on it's own, but the main problem with these games is the AI has yet to be mastered. It just feels way too random and it's hard to find a true rhythm and enjoy the game to its fullest. Rating (Out of 10): 5.0
What The!? (400MP)
What The!? is, to my knowledge, the first community trivia-type game. Set in an environment that is similar to television game shows from the 1970's, What The is actually a pretty decent trivia game. There are three game-types; Fastest Fingers which is a timed tier prize level, Timed, where you have 20 seconds to answer, and normal, a simple question and answer scenario. The questions range from easy to hard, and cover a wide-variety of topics, from Baywatch to Poe. When answering some questions you may get a chance to win a bonus prize. I won an old brick-cell phone, with my grand prize being the moon, which has the added benefit of controlling ocean waves.
I don't know what player 2 won, but I want it
The biggest and most surprising feature of the game is that all of the questions are read aloud to the player, something I honestly wouldn't expect from a community game, and even some full-price arcade and retail trivia games. The voices are clear and sound like a 70's game show host, so this adds a huge amount of value to this game in effort alone. I would say purchase this over any of the retail trivia games because, one, it's cheap and when it comes down to it all you're doing is answering questions. But none of the other games have the same vibe and the addition of every question being read helps this game out a lot. Rating (Out of 10): 7.5
Streamline (200MP)
Apparently this is the racing genre re-defined, but I feel developer Omer may have exaggerated a bit. Still, Streamline is a fun racing game despite lacking any real depth. You are a green line facing other lines in a race through a maze featuring all kinds of obstacles and bonuses. You are given energy, which acts as both a boost and your health, which adds an interesting dynamic as you travel through the course. You have to avoid red arrows and blue mesh areas, both of which slow you down. There are blocks that drain your energy as well. You can pick up more energy by flying over the energy box and you can get a slight turbo boost by flying over the green arrows, and all of these are vital to winning the race.
Orange Line had seen better days
The courses are designed to have multiple paths and require some practice. Still, there is little depth in this game outside of what I just discussed above, and as such there isn't much else to talk about. The graphics aren't meant to be great and the audio is pretty standard, but for 200MP this game isn't a terrible buy, though I can't imagine what is in the full game that you won't get in the demo. Rating (Out of 10):5.5
Game Add-Ons
Halo Wars: Strategic Options Add-on Pack (800MP)
Experience Halo Wars in a whole new way with the Strategic Options Game Add-on. Three new game modes will require players to re-think their entire strategy and approach to the game. The modes include: Keepaway – capture the flag style game; Tug of War – who can field and maintain the strongest army; and Reinforcements – adapt your tactics as you are granted waves of troops.
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X - Russian Falcons (400MP)
Unleash the power of Russian aircraft, including the advanced MiG Multifunctional Frontline Fighter, the variable geometry-featured Flogger or the close air support Su-39. Master the extreme maneuvers with an experimental version of the F-18 Hornet, modified to incorporate thrust vectoring technology. - Mig-31 Foxhound (MIG) - Mig-1.42 (MFI) - Mig-23 Flogger (YF-113) (Mig) - Su-39 (Sukhoi) - F18 HARV (Boeing)
The Chronicles of Riddick: AODA Premium MP Pack (800MP)
Unleash Riddick's fury across this blood-soaked multiplayer pack, including a brand new "Munity" Butcher Bay Riot map, available now for download. Maps in the pack: "Munity" for Butcher Bay Riot "Sneerock" for Deathmatch "Tracker Star" for Cupture the Flag "Viper Run" for Butcher Bay Riot "the Tangle" for Pitch Black
The Chronicles of Riddick: AODA ‘Escape From Butcher Bay' Commentary Mode (Free for Gold members only)
Exclusive in-game Commentary Mode for the 2004 classic ‘Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay' presented by the award winning developer Starbreeze! Re-live the original EFBB campaign with hints and tips from the senior designers and programmers who worked on the game. When you play a Commentary Mode EFBB level, there will be symbols that you can select to hear behind the scenes stories from the developers about the making of the game. Fans of the original version will be excited to learn new revelations about the game that they never knew. Gamers who have never had the opportunity to play the original will gain new insight on a cult classic. The Comm. Mode features four and a half hours of exclusive content from Starbreeze.
Sonic Unleashed: Apotos & Shamar Adventure Pack (250MP)
Download all-new Apotos & Shamar adventures! Five daytime & four nighttime stages will take you through a quaint seaside town and ancient ruins in a desert oasis! This pack includes three brand new stages and six new missions. Be sure and download the other location packs to unleash the full Sonic experience! Note: These stages are accessed in Apotos & Shamar, so unlocking Apotos & Shamar are requirements to play these additional stages.
Buku Sudoku - Puzzle Pack 6 (200MP)
Extend your Buku Sudoku experience with 1200 new Sudoku puzzles!
LIVE Activity for week of May 11th3
Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU's)
1 Halo 3
2 Call of Duty: WaW
3 Call of Duty 4
4 Gears of War 2
5 GTA IV
6 UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo
7 FIFA 09
8 Left 4 Dead
9 Fallout 3
10 Fable II
Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions purchased)
1 Brain Challenge
2 Castle Crashers
3 Star Trek: D•A•C
4 Hasbro Family Game Night **
5 Peggle
6 Worms
7 Space Invaders Extreme
8 UNO
9 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Classic Arcade
10 ARKANOID Live!
Original Xbox Top Live Titles (based on UU's)
1 Halo 2
2 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
3 Fable
4 Counter-Strike
5 Conker: Live Reloaded
6 Splinter Cell Chaos
7 Doom 3
8 Star Wars: Battlefront
9 SW: Republic Commando
10 Guilty Gear XX #Reload
Top Community Games
1 RC-AirSim
2 ezmuze+ Hamst3r edition
3 Rumble Massage
4 Aquarium HD
5 DrumKit
6 Iris
7 Math Sniper 3D
8 Cocktail Paradise
9 Remote Masseuse
10 Let's Draw A Picture Together!
Video Marketplace
Laid to Rest (NA, 320MP) "Laid to Rest" is a terrifying story of a young girl who wakes up in a casket with a traumatic head injury and no memory of her identity. She quickly realizes she was abducted by a Deranged Serial Murderer and in an isolated rural town she must survive the night and outsmart the technologically inclined killer who is hellbent on finishing what he started.
The Reader (480MP, 320MP) Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road) delivers a dynamic performance in this "tale of eroticism, secrecy and guilt" (Claudia Puig, USA Today) set in turbulent post-Nazi Germany. Bringing to life the celebrated international novel, Winslet is riveting as Hanna Schmitz – a lonely, working-class woman who experiences a brief but intense affair with a teenage boy. Years later they meet again: Hanna now a defendant in a notorious case and her ex-lover, now a law student, holding the secret to her salvation. Directed by three-time Academy Award® nominee Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours) and featuring Ralph Fiennes (The Duchess) as the grown man still reeling from Hanna's influence, The Reader is a "moving, romantic and poignant story" (Roger Friedman, Fox News) about the difficult distance between truth and reconciliation.
Outlander (480MP, 320MP) OUTLANDER begins when a space craft crashes into the majestic fjords of ancient Norway and into the time of the Vikings. From the wreckage emerge two bitter enemies: a soldier from another world – Kainan (James Caviezel) – and a bloodthirsty creature known as the Moorwen. Man and monster both seeking revenge for violence committed against them. As the Moorwen ravages the Viking world, killing everything in its path, Kainan forms an unlikely alliance with the primitive but fierce warriors. Combining his advanced technology with ancient Iron Age weapons, the hero leads a desperate attempt to kill the monster - before it destroys them all.
Into the Blue 2 (480MP, 320MP) Scuba professional Sebastian (Chris Carmack) and his aspiring treasure hunter girlfriend (Laura Vandervoort) are hired by a jet- setting European couple (David Anders and Marsha Thomason) to retrieve sunken treasure - only the wealthy Europeans are actually terrorists who are targeting Pearl Harbor.
Events
Monday: Music Monday - Boom Boom Rocket
Monday: Arcade Afternoon - Underwater Adventures
Tuesday: Family Game Night - Trivial Pursuit
Tuesday: Community Playdate - PinataIsland
Wednesday: Game With Developers - Halo Wars
Wednesday: GamerchiX Ladies Night - Call of Duty: World at War
Thursday: Game With Fame - Manchester Orchestra
Friday: Frag Doll Friday - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Friday: Community Playdate: Red Vs Blue
Saturday: Community Playdate: The10k.com
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.
If there are any community game developers who are looking to promote a game, give me an e-mail at traceaber@gmail.com and we'll set up either an interview or something of the like.
