Halo 3 ODST Review
This game is an expansion for last years Halo 3 game for the Xbox 360 to offer players a whole bunch of new features, but it is also a stand-alone so you get the full game and don’t need the original Halo 3 game to play it. ODST stands for Orbital Drop Shcok Trooper, which is the new hero which you get to play as for this expansion. There are also 3 new maps, making it up to a total of 24 maps in all as well as a new campaign in which your rooky trooper is separated from his squad and must search for clues as to where they are as well as to the reasons behind the Covenant’s invasion of New Mombasa, and of course there are new challenges for your new hero to complete.
You do get some advatages over people playing the original Halo 3 when you go into multiplayer mode, as you can complete acheivments to get new items, such Recon Armor which you can get by completing the road to Recon challenge. There are a total of 1,750 new Xbox LIVE achievement points for you to set your sites on.
There is also a new 4 player cooperative campaign mode that you can play over system link or xbox live with multiple environments to fight in, which is a nice alternative to the general mutliplayer game.
If you are a Halo 3 fan then this expansion is well worth getting, and if have not played it then you really should, as Halo 3 is definitely one of the best first person shooter games out there. Basically the story is based in the future inthe 26th century where there is a war between the United Nations Space Command and the alien federation of species callle the Covenant. You fight as a special forces marine, and there is some great action alongside an unfloding story which really draws you into the game.
I would give Halo a rating of 4 out of 5 stars - it would be five only I would have prefered the campaigns to be slightly harder, but if you’re already into playing Halo then I would give ODST 5 out of 5.
Get the full stand alone version now from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk (make sure you click the right one!)
Mirror’s Edge Review
Mirror’s Edge is a first person free-runner/shooter game available for the PS3, Xbox 360, and the PC. The game takes place in a city where a totalitarian government constantly monitors its citizens to reduce the crime rate. An upcoming mayoral election brings about a new favored candidate named Robert Pope. Robert promises to bring change to the city’s domineering ways. In this game, you play Faith, a young lady who is trained in parkour to deliver messages between the two opposing groups. One day, Faith receives a message from her sister, Kate, telling her to meet her immediately at Robert Pope’s office. Upon reaching Kate, Faith sees that Robert Pope has been assassinated at his desk and Kate has been framed as the one who did it. Faith must find who is behind this and clear her sister’s name.
Mirror’s Edge has taken a new approach to first person gaming. It combines free-running along with shooting, all in a first-person veiw. Because of this view, playing the game makes you feel as if you are Faith. With every jump Faith makes, you are tempted to jump. With every wall- run Faith executes, you find yourself turning your head sideways to match Faith’s perspective. Mirror’s Edge is so unnaturally realistic, it’s like virtual reality.
One of the greatest aspects of this game is the audio. This includes Faith’s panting, footsteps, the background music, the gunshots, and every other sound-related figure in this game. Never play this game without the sound enabled. The sound comprises about 50% of this game’s enjoyment.
Another notable thing about Mirror’s Edge is the graphics – they are gorgeous. Even if you’re playing Mirror’s Edge on an inferior PC on the lowest quality settings, this game still looks amazing. The animations and textures obviously took a lot of work to perfect.
If you are using a computer to play Mirror’s Edge, you will notice that you do not need a powerhouse PC to play it. The system requirements for Mirror’s Edge are considerably low. Most people are astonished when they hear the requirements for Mirror’s Edge. They believe that a game with such beautiful graphics could never run on their $300 laptop.
The only negative thing to say about this game is the extremely predictable and short storyline. From the start, you know who the bad guys and the good guys are, and the ending is no shocker. The storyline could use some work. The game’s developers could have done so much more with the plot. Additionally, Mirror’s Edge is a short game. Once you become familiar with the necessary movements, you can beat the game in about 7 hours. Afterwards, there is really nothing else to do but play the same boards over and over again. This becomes boring and repetitive.
Still, Mirror’s Edge is a visually stunning game, and its only shortcoming is the rushed plotline. Overall, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. Even those who don’t usually play video games will find themselves immersed in Mirror’s Edge.
4 ½ stars!
Get Mirror’s Edge now from Amazon.com: Mirror’s Edge for Xbox 360
Or from Amazon.co.uk: for Xbox 360
