Gears of War was announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (also called E3) in 2004. It received lots of attention due to its amazing graphics. Many said that it had the best graphics they have ever seen. The company making Gears is Epic Games. They are mostly known for the fast paced online PC shooter series, Unreal. They had already created the Unreal Engine 3, which is widely considered the most powerful graphics engine out right now. What shocked a lot of people was the tactical pace of Gears of War. Epic had always made intense frenetic shooters, like the Unreal series. Many questioned whether Epic could shift gears (no pun intended) and create a completely different experience. After 2 years of hype from the media, gamers and Epic themselves, Gears of War is finally available. Shockingly it has lived up to all the hype. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any game get so much hype before, including Halo 2. Fortunately Gears of War lived up to all the hype maybe even surpassed it. It’s an amazing experience that every gamer that owns an Xbox 360 should get. Now lets discuss the game itself.

Developed by: Ubisoft Montreal
Published by: Ubisoft
Release Date: November 20, 2006
ESRB Rating: Mature for blood, intense violence,
strong language, and suggestive themes
For: Xbox 360, PC, PS3, and soon to be PSP
(reviewed for Xbox 360)

Rainbow Six Vegas is the latest release in the Rainbow Six first person shooter series that gamers everywhere have come to know and love.

The first God of War, released in early 2005, was an immediate success. It was the first major action title from David Jaffe, the director of the famed PS2 car combat game Twisted Metal. Jaffe’s keen eye for detail and obsession with perfecting game mechanics lead to one of the most cinematic games on the PS2, if not of all time. It was also one of the most violent games released to date. Players assumed the role of Kratos, the so-called “Ghost of Sparta,” in a quest to kill the god of war, Ares. On the way, he dispatched countless enemies in perhaps the goriest manner possible. The sequel is no different in this regard. God of War 2 was released on March 13, 2007, almost two years to the day that the first title was released. The already epic scale of the first game was expanded upon in the new title, with slightly altered controls, bigger boss battles (including the Colossus of Rhodes, Jason, and Perseus, as well as some from the pantheon of Greek gods and other characters from Greek mythology), more expansive environments, and a cranked up difficulty from the original’s. On the whole, God of War 2 is a longer, more complete experience than the original.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Available for Wii, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Version reviewed: PS2
ESRB rating: T

The Guitar Hero series has been very successful and this title is a great addition to the series as well as the largest one yet. There are over 70 great music tracks and the game has been cleaned up a bit in the appropriateness area as well. Guitar Hero 3 has a few noticeable changes. The cut scenes are all animated giving this game a different look and feel. Musically, in many cases you get to be a part of the original tracks and not a cover band performing them instead.

Wow. Is there any other introductory word I could possibly use for a game like this? DBZ: BT3 for the Wii is not an utterly new or fresh game, but it is solid to the core.

Reviewed by Obigone for the Xbox 360

Rated M: for Blood, Strong Language, Violence

Assassin’s Creed is a third person stealth shooter which places you in the shoes of an assassin trying to reclaim his honor in the year 1191 AD. While the game shines in many areas, repetitive gameplay, replayability issues, and weak lead voice acting bring out some substantial frowns amidst an experience that could have had us smiling all the way through.