Xbox 360 Launch Guide - VGGEN Staff Picks
By: VGGEN StaffOK, we admit it. Not all of us are buying a Xbox 360 on launch day. Still, we all have our opinions on the best and worst titles in the system's launch lineup. With that in mind, here are the top three games each of us will/would purchase between now and the end of the year. Interestingly enough, Perfect Dark Zero appears to be the "safe" choice as it made it onto everyone's list...but never in the top spot.
Jared Black
1. Condemned: Criminal Origins (Sega)
I'll be honest, six months ago this list would've been vastly different for me. Unfortunately, both my #1 (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion) and my #2 (Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter) have been delayed until early next year. That being said, Condemned: Criminal Origins is still deserving of a top spot on any list.
Of all the Xbox 360 launch titles, it appears to be the only true leap over what was available in the last generation. As a Serial Crimes Unit Investigator, you not only analyze the crime scenes but then hunt down (and try to survive) the serial killers that commit them. Almost anything in the environment can be used as a weapon, from table legs to shotguns, and the graphics portray a dark and foreboding world. If done poorly Condemned could be a flop; fortunately for us all signs point to one of the most original titles from Sega in years.
2. Call of Duty 2 (Activision)
This one has the benefit of my playing the PC demo, so I already have a good idea of what to expect. While the game is still linear the A.I. has been dramatically improved, the battles flow more naturally, and the graphics add a new depth of immersion over previous WWII titles. Throw in generous Xbox Live support and a port that doesn't appear to be dumbed-down from the PC version (finally), and this should be a good fit for war gamers everywhere.
3. Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft)
The only reason this makes my list over Kameo: Elements of Power is that I know what to expect out of a Rare FPS, whereas to me Kameo is still an unknown quantity at this point. That being said, while PD0 is certainly no Halo it does appear to be another great Rare FPS and the Xbox 360's early system seller. And really, how can you go wrong with 32 players online at once? Overall, it should be as safe a bet as any and a solid entry in the system's launch lineup.
Andrew Joy
1. Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft)
While I would love nothing more than to hack 'n' slash my way to the New Year in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, it doesn't appear to be in the cards. So, in light of that, my top pick for launch is Project Gotham Racing 3. The single player modes of racing games rarely entertain me for long, so it is more the Xbox Live aspect of PGR3 that interest me. I like the idea actually being recognized for your skill, earning units for use Xbox Live Marketplace, buying more powerful cars that will help take your game to the next level. And I am very pleased by the new GothamTV mode, which lets you watch other races, and racers, as they play over Xbox Live; racing is, after all, a spectator's sport.
2. Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft)
I played the first Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64 and I loved it. The title was perfectly refined, from a top-notch story, to excellent co-op missions and multiplayer death matches. My only hope is that the grandeur and humor that the series first showed us will make its way to Zero. So far, Perfect Dark Zero is looking great, with graphics that certainly don't put any shame to the next generation of graphics, and certainly won't do the Xbox 360's sales any harm, either. And, much to my delight, the online aspect of Perfect Dark Zero is making multiplayer look more tempting than ever. And let's face it, sometimes you just want to shoot someone....
3. Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft)
What can I say, I like Rare's titles. Conker's Bad Fur Day, Goldeneye 007 and the original Perfect Dark, they are all great examples of what Rare is capable of. While, at times, Kameo: Elements of Power may seem a bit childish, years of work have gone into it, so I'm hopeful. Besides, it is the best I can come to a fantasy game at launch, so I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Nick Arvites
1. Call of Duty 2 (Activision)
I was a huge fan of Call of Duty (PC) and I view the title as a savior of a genre and as one of the best World War II combat titles ever made. Naturally, I'm interested in the Xbox 360 version. With the lack of a Halo-esque title in the Xbox 360 launch and the delay of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, Call of Duty 2 takes the top honor for my pick of the launch lineup.
2. Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft)
Bizarre Creations' racing series was long considered one of the best racing games in the Xbox library. While the series lacks the customization approach that Forza Motorsports took last Spring, Project Gotham Racing 2 was the racing title for Xbox Live until Forza's release. The graphical standards for the Project Gotham series has always been high, and this version does not disappoint. Project Gotham Racing 3 may be the best looking title of the launch, and the Xbox Live features--like GothamTV--will make this one of the top online titles of the Xbox 360 launch.
3. Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft)
I'll admit, I wasn't a huge fan of Perfect Dark (N64). When it was released, I was engrossed playing Half-Life (PC) that I barely noticed it. While it was a decent shooter, I don't remember it as the best of all time like some like to think of it. Perfect Dark Zero is the oft-delayed and much anticipated follow-up to the original, and it is finally coming home to the Xbox 360. Instead of looking at this with excitement, I'm actually more curious as to how Rare will deliver this title. Will it be all it is hyped to be or will it be another sign that Rare is a shadow of its former self? How will the game handle 32 people online in reality? Can this be the must-have title for this launch that Halo: Combat Evolved was for the first launch? We will soon find out.
Siou Choy
While (as avid readers of my articles should already know) I am, and remain, a staunch defender of the Xbox as being the best system on the market at the present time, I have found, with much disappointment, that this is perhaps the weakest launch in gaming console history (well, OK, I'm exaggerating a bit, but the sentiment holds). While there are some promising entries scheduled for next year (and beyond) such as Possession, Dead Rising, RE5, and Fable 2, there just isn't a lot for the discriminating gamer to get excited about at or around launch.
That said, here follows what appear to be the best of an admittedly meager lot:
Tecmo and Team Ninja have proven that they can produce a solid game time and again. While yet another slightly amped up fighting game sequel isn't exactly earthshaking in the excitement stakes, DOA4 should offer no exception to the rule. With the usual gorgeous graphics, solid controls, a few extra characters, and the ability to play online, I'm sure there should follow the usual swell of public interest and accolades.
2. Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft)
Rare seems intent on showing gamers that they have what it takes to produce some solid games. Kameo: Elements of Power looks to offer gamers a few curveballs from the usual RPG/Adventure offering. All things being equal, Rare should be more than capable of meeting fan expectations once again.
3. Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft)
Rare brought the first person shooter to a new level with the release of Perfect Dark on the N64 and it stands to reason that PD0 should at least follow a holding pattern. If nothing else, it should be a worthy choice for fans of the FPS genre (we aren't exactly talking Raze's Hell here). Advance screenshots look nice enough and PD0 will offer simultaneous online play for a large number of gamers, making it the perfect choice for fans of a good multiplayer deathmatch.
Cameron Morris
1. Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft)
If you've been in the video gaming way for the past several years you may be familiar with Kameo, a game developed by Rare which was announced back when Perfect Dark Zero was a twinkling in someone's eye and Dinosaur Planet was shaping up to be one of the coolest games around. In contrast to pretty much every other game present for the 360's launch, this game has been in development since the beginning of time. Up until a few months ago, I knew precious little about it and was happy to leave it that way.
That said, the game looks to be true to form for the old Rare: an excellent adventure game set in an imaginative world, with interesting play mechanics and a sense of presence and atmosphere that fleshes out a basically cartoony world. Kameo, the main character, can take on the form of monsters to do combat against the hordes of orcs and other such baddies who get between her and her goal, but the usefulness of your different forms is not limited by what they can do in battle; each is unique and serves a specific role in exploring the massive world that the game takes place in. One tends to be wary after Rare's last few projects, but Kameo: Elements of Power seems like it has all the ingredients of a winner and I can't help but be excited for it.
2. Peter Jackson's King Kong (Ubisoft)
I kind of said to myself, "I shouldn't have any multiplatform games on this list," but man, King Kong is a giant monkey and I love dinosaurs, so there is no denying that this game will be one of the ones to beat. Played chiefly from the perspective of a tiny human going up against enemies too huge to actually fight (and barely small enough to run away from), one can expect to spend an awful lot of time trying to use the environment against very realistically rendered velociraptors, pterodactyls, and numerous other dinosaurs and giant creatures. On the other hand, one can play through mostly action and exploration-based segments as King Kong...and any game where you can play as a giant monkey is going to be tops anyway.
Some remnant of my childhood says that the best part will be the futility of trying to scare off a T-Rex with a machinegun, while the more experience gamer in me tells me that playing as Kong himself will offer the most immediate satisfaction. Both of them agree I need to play this game, one way or another.
3. Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft)
Honestly, what else really needs to be said? People have been screaming for the release of this successor to the N64's Perfect Dark since before people knew what the Xbox was, and it's here for us at long, long last. With an art style widely different from the first game and gameplay as improved as the art is changed, it's hard to guess exactly what we can expect from Perfect Dark. It's been years since Rare has done an FPS, but their track record in this field can be called nothing short of phenomenal.
The game boasts 32-person multiplayer, a richly expanded arsenal of weapons and combat-capable vehicles, what promises to be an action-packed and intriguing sci-fi story, and a pedigree that extends back to two of the best FPSes ever made. Perfect Dark has one hell of an image to live up to, but if Rare can incorporate some of that old magic in with the technical wizardry and style they're so well-known for, then this will probably be the must-own 360 game for a lot of people.
J. Michael Neal
1. Condemned: Criminal Origins (Sega)
Monolith releases a game; I pay attention. They have earned this much. Frankly, I don’t know much about Condemned. The videos aren’t that impressive, neither are the screenshots, and I have no idea how the forensic angle is going to play out – but as long as the company responsible for No One Lives Forever, Aliens vs. Predator, Tron 2.0, and F.E.A.R. is behind it, so will I.
2. Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft)
Microsoft spent a lot of money to acquire N64 darling Rare. To date, however, that invest has proved… less than successful. It has been a good four years since the name “Rare” has meant anything. Their first game for Microsoft, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, was a commercial and critical failure, and Conker: Live and Reloaded was a disappointment to both the fans and the publisher. Now with the 360, Rare’s delivering not one, but two launch titles, Perfect Dark Zero appearing to be the one worth watching. Can this game do for the Xbox 360 what Halo did for the original ‘box? Not very likely, but hopefully it will hold us over until Bungie releases the console’s real killer app.
OK, it’s not technically a launch title, as it won’t be available until a week after the system hits shelves, but DOA4 is still the #1 reason most people I know are interested in an Xbox 360. Personally, I was never a fan of the series, I’ve always been a Virtua Fighter man, and fighting games are not among my preferred genres, but I still managed to put my fair share of hours into DOA3. Partially because the game looked so good, partially because it’s so easy to pick up and play, partially because every gamer friend I’ve ever had over my house has insisted on me putting it on. Now with the Xbox 360 and Dead or Alive 4, I’m sure I’ll be saying the same thing this time around, except the added edge of online play should give me even more reason to enjoy this game despite myself.
Posted: 11/17/2005