Reviews by JR ORIGINAL

Top Spin 3 (Xbox 360) review

Tennis sims. No one can really get them right. But Top Spin 3 destroys this reputation by making a fun to play (albeit with a slightly high learning curve) and entertaining tennis game. I have played Top Spin 1 which was great to muck about with friends with but ultimately not really that good. Top Spin 3 is more realistic with nice physics and fluid motion by players. Other sport games (looking at you FIFA) have terrible crowd animations but, for its age at least Top Spin's crowd animations are excellent. You can play with a multitude of different characters in iconic grand slam stadiums. Unfortunately on the 360 version you will notice the distinct lack of Rafael Nadal and on both versions Wimbledon is unfortunately missing. But as a Federer fan I don't really care about the former. You can create your own characters and develop them and play through a "story" of sorts progressing you from a nobody to a tennis legend up their with Borg, Becker and Federer (who are all playable). The graphics are quite impressive and their is a large variety of different racquets and outfits for your character which can be purchased by winning unlock points. (Note: You will always have too many of these and winning them is easy to do.) The multiplayer is fun but when playing as a newcomer you will be “pwned” (to use the technical term) a lot by more experienced players. As a great tennis fan I really enjoyed this game and would definitely recommend it.

Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360) review

Assassin's Creed is one of the best earlyish 360 games there is. A massive world to play around in which looks beautiful, and stylish, sophisticated combat are just some of the things that make this game an unforgettable experience. This game also includes that special something that most games these days lack: A good story. Okay, maybe a bit Dan Brownish, but I like those books and I like this story. The ending is excellent albeit blatantly setting the scene for a sequel. The aforementioned graphics and combat are excellent with crusader cities like Acre and Damascus looking real and nice to look at. Which you will be doing from high vantage points where you can get a nice panoramic view and find missions to do. But the magic may start to rub off as you basically start every assassination in this way by taking a looksey from a high vantage point to find side missions which, in turn, help you to complete the whole assassination. So it is very repetitive but the visuals and combat make up for this. Ah the combat, with smooth counter attacks and sexy stealth attacks that make you dribble at the mouth. The movement is quite well done and it is for the most part fun getting to A-B unseen. Which you will need to do a lot toward the end of the game as guards soon start to learn who you are and attempt to kill you on sight. You start the story as a disgraced assassin called Altaïr who needs to complete assassinations to gain his respect back with the Creed. You play the game through as memories from his modern day descendant Desmond who has been captured and made to relive his ancestor's memories for an unknown purpose. The music score is nice. Its main point is its subtly. The voice acting is generally good with the exception of Altaïr himself. Actually he is an average hero who really isn't as good as his alter ego Enzio from AC II or as likeable but he is still quite convincing. What we have here is a game that isn't perfect but still is enjoyable to play and sets a good scene for Assassin's Creed II.

Fable II (Xbox 360) review

> First off, I am completely new to the Fable universe having never played the original on Xbox. Fable's main RPG rival is ESIV Oblivion, which is one of my favourite games of all time. It was in depth and had some memorable characters. But this is something Fable is lacking. The idea of relationships with other NPCs is an interesting idea but is handled awfully. You don't really care about other characters very much which makes the moral choices the more easier. Oh yes, morality, the other big talking point. In this game the choices you make influence the world around you in major ways. For example, early on when you start the game as a child the little decisions you make like whether to aid or turn in a pickpocket will influence the world of Albion significantly making it either a lovely developed world or a sleazy prostitute infested hellhole. You then develop into an adult hero and really begin the main quest. It's quite boring and not very inspiring. The fact your character only communicates through facial expressions is a little annoying and detracts from the big moments. One character you will however become attached to is your dog. He is really man's best friend and can aid you by finding treasure. You can teach it tricks and it will begin to mirror your character. If you are corrupt and evil you will look mean and intimidating with horns and an attractive lava-like complexion. Your dog will also look appropriately menacing as well. Because your dog will be the only character you will connect with the "final decision" at the end is all the more hard. (Play it to see!). Other aspects include owning property and buying business. Combat is fairly weak involving melee, ranged and will (magic) based attacks. The weapons are not very varied and the attacks with spells are also lacking unfortunately. Overall competent but not really inspiring effort. P.S Sorry for the wall of text but RPGs are large and have many aspects to review!

Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360) review

Call of Duty Modern Warfare was an impresive game that got me hooked on it despite the short campaign. Let's see how Modern Warfare 2 compares. Before starting the online multiplayer I completed the campaign. It is an interesting and fun campaign with great levels, environments and a fantastic (albeit slightly far fetched) campaign. The graphics are noticiably sharper and better. The only thing I dislike about the general gameplay is the new damage meter which fills the screen with blood which can be frustrating in moments of intense combat. I then went into the multiplayer mode. At first glance I really loved it, but soon I found it frustrating. I think it is too easy with so many killstreak bonuses. Airdrop can give you Harriers and Pavelows after only 4 kills. The maps are quite fun and competitive but I actually prefered COD4's. New weapons are fun but I frequently find myself using the M4A1 from the previous games. To be honest I got a little bit sick and tired of the gameplay after the thrill of new features wore out and after 3 weeks I put COD4 back into the Xbox and started playing that instead. The reason I give it 4 is because I can see the hard work that has gone into it. The reason it lost a star is because it just isn't as good a game as COD4. Shame really.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) review

I've had this game since release and I am still playing it. The best part of this game is probably the multiplayer but the single player campaign has fantastic, albeit short moments which shine through in the gripping story. The graphics are pretty impressive and the large choice of weapons is brilliantly fun to use. The online multiplayer is possibly the best out of any game. The maps and game modes are fun and interesting. Also this game favours newbies with much of the best weapons being for lower levels (M16, M40A3 and my two personal favs the MP5 and the M4 carbine) which invites new players to come and join. And why shouldn't you? The only thing that will create a gap in my play time of this playing this game is that its sequel was released yesterday! Really if you have an Xbox, PS3 or high-end PC you have to play this. Arguably, this is the one of the best games ever made! Story: 10/10 Graphics: 10/10 Gameplay: 10/10 Fun: 10/10 Overall: 10/10

Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360) review

This is the latest game in the Halo FPS franchise. I have played all the halo games (except Halo Wars, just didn't think it looked a good enough RTS) and so I was looking forward to this game. Immediately I was pleasantly surprised by the way it also has the multiplayer Map Packs from Halo 3. I went straight into the campaign. In this game your main character is "Rookie" (no more god-like Master Chief. You are only human. If you try to play like the Master Chief you will probably end up dead) who is a newcomer to the ODST squad and is just about to be launched into the Covenant controlled city of New Mombassa. But "oh no!" the Covenant ship goes into slipspace (a sort of "hyper space") and the resulting shockwave sends you crashing down to Earth. If you played Halo 2 you will remember this moment when you chased the ship through to a Halo ring. Separated from your squad you are free to roam the Covenant-controlled mega city of New Mombassa and try to find your squad mates. You will be introduced to the game's "night vision" which basically throws everything into high contrast. In ODST you will be thrown into a darker Halo universe and you will feel quite alone at times. Earth sometimes seems quite dark, alien and depressing. You will encounter items left behind by your old team and you will be teleported back in time to complete the real actual missions in the game. You will play through the eyes of that squad mate. For the most part these missions are fun to play and also include a few vehicle missions. From the old games several pieces of nostalgia make their way back into the game in the form of Warthogs, Ghosts, Banshees, the amazing Scorpion tank and the now even more deadly Wraith (it now seems to fire its mortar faster and, on higher difficulties, these will kill you if they land anywhere near you). The SMG is now scoped and silenced (not online) which is cool and good to use. The brute plasma rifle makes a comeback (basically a red ordinary plasma rifle.) Most of the old enemies and friends like Grunts, Brutes and Hunters all make a return. There are no Elites or (thank god!) Flood in this game. It should be noted that you do not seem to be able to "dual wield" weapons in this game. Instead of the traditional run and gun approach you will now need to use stealth, cover and a little bit of intelligence to defeat your opponents. The story is good and the tried and tested multiplayer is also excellent (the new firefight mode is especially good as it lets you play online with friends against an unrelenting horde of enemies in some of the campaign's memorable battles). However, this game does seem quite short with only 7-8 hours of gameplay but that's OK as it isn't full price. Oh wait, it is. Wow, what a rip for basically an expansion pack. Story: 10/10 Graphics: 8/10 Gameplay: 10/10 Fun: 10/10 Value: 2/10 Overall: 8/10

Devil May Cry 4 (Xbox 360) review

I personally didn't like this game. The stroyline was abysmal and not interesting. This is the first DMC game I have ever played and I didn't like it. Maybe for fans it would be good but for a newcomer it just wasn't fun. The actual gameplay wasn't bad but it didn't seem to be very exciting and after about three hours I got bored. The graphics are quite are good, but like the rest of the game a little bit boring. All in all not as good as I had been told. Story: 2/10 Graphics:7/10 Gameplay5/10 Fun: 3/10 Overall: 4/10

Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires (Xbox 360) review

I've always loved the Dynasty warriors games. They may not be the most technically brilliant but they are great fun to play. The "empires" versions have always been my favourite as they let you conquer China on your own and they let you feel more in control of your own destiny. This is probably the most different game in the seris. On higher difficulties the AI officers can be quite a challenge, but the ordinary soldiers are still in the game only to be killed. This is the first game that you can be an officer, get given missions by your liege, do them and be promoted higher in your army. You can take oaths with your fellow generals and get married. There is still a ruler mode that lets you control your own faction and conquer China. The "great" graphics are still there and the game is still for the most part button mashing so in that way not much change. No online multiplayer but a split screen mode is avalible. There is no "free mode" only "empire" mode in this game. And unfortunatley you have to level your character up each time you start a new mode. But still fun and addictive and a must for fans of the seris and newcomers as well. 5 Stars

Fallout 3 (Xbox 360) review

To be honest I didn't think it would be that good. But it was! The story is quite good if you follow it and the idea of your actions affecting everything around you is very emphasized, like it should be in a good RPG. Great gameplay ( The new "V.A.T.S" aiming system deserves a special mention. It stops the gameplay and lets you pick a part of your enemy's body to shoot at). The graphics are great and the bleak DC wastelands look fantastic ( although sometimes they are so depressing you feel a little bit detached from the game). Unfortunately it ends quite quickly and very suddenly. After you complete the game that's it. It ends. You can't play on. First time through I stuck to the main quest and was really annoyed at it just ending. A brilliant game, but not as good as Bethesda's other great RPG ES IV Oblivion!

Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360) review

CoD games are usually the leaders in the class of FPS. CoD WaW doesn't dissapoint. It has the same great gameplay as modern Warfare and a better campaign ( modern warfare's was good but too short). This campaign is set in the Pacific and you join the story of an American marine team as you battle the Japenese. I prefer being the Russians in the other side of the story however. The campaign stories are told well. The guns are pretty much the same with flamethrowers being added and Bayonets to certain rifles. The multiplayer is excellent and the "Nazi Zombies" mode is brilliant fun. That said, I still prefer CoD 4 to this. CoD 4 feels newer and better. But WaW is still a fantastic game and a must have!