Xbox 360 Recommendations

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2007-04-07 08:22pm

I'm looking to pick up a 360 in a couple of months (probably the Elite, since I have loads of BestBuy points and gift cards to spend), and I'm trying to decide which games to get for it. The only game I know I want that's out now is Gears of War. On the unreleased side, Mass Effect, Halo 3 and GTA 4 all have my interest (I'll be getting Bioshock for the PC). Based on those preferences, what other titles should I be looking at?

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-04-07 09:14pm

Rainbow Six: Vegas if you don't already have it on the PC. Gears of War is great co-operative, but lacking in versus. Rainbow is an excellent versus online game.
Lost Planet is pretty good, online and off.
Guitar Hero 2. I don't care what games you think you like. Fuckin' Rock.
Crackdown. Bit shallow. Look for it cheap. Play the other side of the GTA coin, and jump on buildings.
Dead Rising lets you loose on a mall full of zombies.

Otherwise, it depends what other types of games you like. PGR3 and Burnout will fill any racing desires you have until Forza 2. DoA4 is a passable fighter. Battlestations: Midway is a good approach to mixing tactical wargaming with personal skill (though it's short offline).

Check out the Arcade too. There are some great games up for grabs. Assault Heroes is a pick up and play top down explosionfest. Outpost Kaloki is a fun little management sim (kinda simple, but lots of personality). If you have a big TV and a 5.1 system, it's worth the piffling price to get the original Doom. (the only change is all the sound redone to Dolby Digital 5.1)

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-04-07 09:28pm

Not to hijack but I'm curious how many 360 games have split-screen co-op. GoW does (and GH2 does obviously) but I don't think things like R6 or Lost Planet do, rather being online multi or system link. This is relevant to me, since I don't know any bastard with a 360.

EDIT - to clarify, it turns out all the servers I can find for GoW have 'red lag', so I don't really want to join a server only to warp all over the place. It sucks to be Australian.

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » 2007-04-07 09:57pm

Rainbow Six does have split-screen co-op. It's not as polished as Gears of War, you lose out on dialog and briefings and such, and a handful of levels are slightly altered to make of for the fact that you don't have your immortal henchmen, but it plays well enough. Online co-op with more people is always more fun, of course.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2007-04-07 10:29pm

Saint's Row is also very good if you didn't completely burn yourself out on GTA-likes playing GTA3, VC, and SA.

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2007-04-07 11:39pm

The only games I've played for any significant amount of time are Gears of War, Crackdown, and Dead Rising (I've just rented Saints Row). Gears of War is especially fun (and a hell of a lot easier) if you're playing Co-Op, though I must warn that it has that Mature rating for a very good reason. Crackdown, is a reverse GTA without much of a story, and the ending is kind of, wierd, but fitting if you listen to what your informant says throughout the game (especially when talking about civilians). Dead Rising, I felt was a let down, you can't really move whilst aiming a gun, and some of the weapons break for no apparent reason (Specifically the lead pipe) and others are completely useless (like the diamonds and CD's).

Edit: Oh, and Crackdown has Co-Op, but you need a LAN or Xbox Live.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-04-07 11:55pm

I rented Dead Rising and it was fun for a bit, but it became boring and surprisingly 8-bit (pattern bosses, awful AI, limited-use weapons, 'block' health system that never lets you know how much of that last block you've got (and sometimes you take less damage ie from 50cal). I enjoyed GoW, although it was a bit short. Just having co-op built into the game from the get-go (no 'you're the last spartan... and so are you' silliness) was neat, and the constant cries of 'res plz' is awesome.

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2007-04-08 03:23am

Stark wrote:I enjoyed GoW, although it was a bit short. Just having co-op built into the game from the get-go (no 'you're the last spartan... and so are you' silliness) was neat, and the constant cries of 'res plz' is awesome.

'Walk it off, pussy.' That was my favorite line from the whole game.

Anyhow, I'd like to make an addendum to my reccomendations. I started playing Saint's Row and I have to reccomend it as well, in addition to the GTA-style game, you get to make your character, and I'm not talking about chosing premade designs, I mean you get to chose your hair, your skin tone, your lips, your eyes, everything. My only problem is that your character has no dialogue whatsoever.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » 2007-04-08 03:34am

Earth Defense Force 3 has co-op split screen (and i think onechanbara vorteX has one too)

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2007-04-08 08:15pm

Aside from GoW and Lost Planet, Battle for Middle Eath II is actually quite good, if you enjoy RTS games. Its the best console version of its type I've ever played, and although the control scheme takes some getting used to, it is really quite usable after you've been at it awhile. In addition to decent gameplay and campaign design, the game also looks great, especially in terms of level design.

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2007-04-09 08:16am

General Schatten wrote:My only problem is that your character has no dialogue whatsoever.

That's what you think.

I think most of the main games have already been mentioned, so I'll recommend a few things off the Arcade. Assault Heroes is fucking gold. It's mostly the same as the arcade scrolling shooters of old (think Raiden on the ground) but it's obviously a hell of a lot prettier and has some nice bosses. Like a giant spider robot.

And if you don't download Worms, what the hell is wrong with you?

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2007-04-09 11:28am

Lost Planet and Rainbow Six look very interesting. How good are Call of Duty 3 and Perfect Dark Zero? Aside from Oblivion (got it on the PC, and there's no way in hell I'd play it without unofficial mods), does the 360 have any good US/European style RPGs?

And Castlevania: Symphony of the Nights has my interest, too.

CaptHawkeye · Post by **CaptHawkeye** » 2007-04-09 12:05pm

Haven't played PDZ, Call of Duty 3? Single player is generally boring, nothing you haven't seen before, the game really shines in its MP. It's a lot of fun. Problem is, you've got to reconfigure your NAT settings to make it work properly.

Another FPS i'd recomend is F.E.A.R. Unless you already have it for PC.

If you're in the mood for something different, i'd also recomend Battlestations Midway.

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2007-04-09 12:06pm

Losonti Tokash wrote:
General Schatten wrote:My only problem is that your character has no dialogue whatsoever.
That's what you think.

What do you mean? I've killed the older brother of the Carnales and the uncle of the guy in charge of the Rollerz, and all he's done is nod...

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2007-04-09 12:09pm

Arrow wrote:
And Castlevania: Symphony of the Nights has my interest, too.

Don't you mean Symphony of the Night? Wasn't that a PSX game?

Losonti Tokash · Post by **Losonti Tokash** » 2007-04-09 12:20pm

Your avatar in Saint's Row for all intents and purposes doesn't talk, sure, but at the end of each gang's storyline he does get a line or two. Usually something bizarre, too.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-04-09 12:34pm

General Zod wrote: Don't you mean Symphony of the Night? Wasn't that a PSX game?

It was. Now it's on Xbox Live Arcade for £7.50.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2007-04-09 01:27pm

Vendetta wrote:
General Zod wrote: Don't you mean Symphony of the Night? Wasn't that a PSX game?
It was. Now it's on Xbox Live Arcade for £7.50.

Ah, that makes sense. In that case it's definitely worth shelling out the $7.50 for if you missed it the first time around. One of the truly best post-SNES Castlevania games. (Though I'm not entirely sure how Xbox Live Arcade works, exactly. Just going on what I remember from the game itself).

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2007-04-09 03:01pm

Losonti Tokash wrote:Your avatar in Saint's Row for all intents and purposes doesn't talk, sure, but at the end of each gang's storyline he does get a line or two. Usually something bizarre, too.

I just found out. Julius: You Okay? Player: I just got run over by a truck, what do you think!?