09
Apr
February treated us to the wonderful Street Fighter IV (and Halo Wars, which I have only managed to play the demo of so far). March on the other hand didn’t really seem to bring anything new to the table that I was interested in. For a large number of gamers, Resident Evil 5 was at the top of the ladder. For me, I decided to go through some of my older games and pay them a visit.
Blue Dragon
This Japanese/turn-based RPG was purchased well over a year ago (maybe even 2). On my original play through I just couldn’t seem to connect with it. Maybe this was due to the game not meeting my expectations, or because I was suffering from some sort of gamerscore addiction.
RPGs take time to complete, and not many of them offer easy/quick achievements. The developers want you to undertake multiple playthroughs and explore every last inch of the land for that final collectible. I on the other hand have never quite been the patient type, so a game that requires as much dedication as this was unfortunately overlooked.
That was until this month. I felt I was finally ready to sit down and play through a game such as this. It was a tough choice between Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, but after much thought I finally settled for the lighter and more cartoonish option (with the intent on playing Lost Odyssey afterwards). Infact, part of my decision was based on the assumption that Lost Odyssey is better, so playing an enjoyable yet inferior game first will make the overall experience less disappointing than if I had decided to play them the other way around.
So, Blue Dragon is an excellent and very enjoyable turn-based RPG adventure for the Xbox 360. That’s all very well, but what game has been consuming most of my time this month..?
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Off all the online FPS games I have played, Rainbow Six games have always been my favourite. The “taking cover” mechanic really enhances the game and the controls feel really fluid.
This month (erm, march) I have been spending most of my time on this awesome game. It features numerous interesting multiplayer game modes and an experience system that unlocks new gear for your character. It’s also the only FPS (I think?) that allows you to scan your face using the Xbox 360 Live Vision Camera, how cool is that?
My aim is to reach the full 1000 gamerscore with this game. So far I’m just above 800 points, so not far to go now.
08
Apr
Lionhead recently provided some more information about the upcoming DLC for Fable 2 now called “See the Future”.
“In “See the Future,” players will be given the chance to heed the call for a hero to restore color and balance to the world, or let Albion fall to the wayside. Those who emerge victorious will receive the ultimate reward: a quest that provides a vision of Albion’s future and what lies ahead for those born into the heroic bloodline…”
The Fable 2 DLC is said to cost only 560MS points. A comforting price considering how a lot of companies are trying to bleed us dry with DLC at the moment.
Some of the new features highlighted in the upcoming DLC are:
Murgo: Having first met him during the childhood sequence of “Fable II,” Murgo returns to Bowerstone Market to bring an amazing array of new wares, including potions that can transform canine companions into new breeds.
The Ghosts of the Snowglobe Quest: Holding a disturbing secret, the small model village inside it was once a real town in Albion. The people who once inhabited it are now ghosts condemned to endless torment until the shadowy threat that cursed them is defeated.
The Cursed Knight Quest: Forever banished to a land beyond the dead, the Cursed Knight awaits a hero who has the strength and will to dress up in convincing costumes, even imitating a hobbe or balverine, to save him from his fate.
The Colosseum: The Colosseum puts even the Crucible to shame. Only the greatest heroes have triumphed here. Players’ abilities will be put to the test to prove themselves in combat once and for all, to win the ultimate in prizes.
So far this all sounds too good to be true. How or why are Lionhead doing this for so cheap? I have no idea, but I am really happy about this news.
More good news though is that Lionhead are also helping some of the more disgruntled gamers by providing some free DLC to help people earn the full retail 1000 gamerscore without the need to purchase the Fable 2 “Pub Games”.
So, for 560MS points we will soon have yet another reason to visit Albion. I can’t wait!
07
Apr
Recently I thought about signing up to twitter to help keep followers of this blog updated about current progress. Well, today I finally took the plunge. It makes sense though really as it will help me achieve the following:
- Update you all on posts I am currently working on
- Update you all on recent posts I have made
- Post general comments about games I am currently playing
- Share links to exciting gaming news
As creating posts for this blog sometimes takes me quite a bit of time, twitter will provide me with a way of communicating with gxpblog.com followers without needing to create blog articles about smaller details (such as why I haven’t posted in a couple of days). For example, I still haven’t had the chance to finish my “game of the month” post from march. It’s close to being finished, but I don’t want to rush posts and affect the “quality”.
For those interested, you can access my twitter page here: http://twitter.com/gxpblog. If you get the time, please “follow” me to keep updated about this site.
I am always looking for feedback about this blog, how it can be improved, and how to easily keep updated when I post something new. If you have any comments, please feel free to leave them at the end of this article.
Thanks for reading 
02
Apr
Well, EA are at it again. Just two weeks after the release of their new game Godfather II (2), EA plan to release some pricey DLC for stuff that used to be included in games.
The Godfather II DLC will be as follows:
- The Pentangeli Map Pack: All-new Cuba multiplayer map and Junkyard multiplayer map. (540MS Points)
- Level 4 Weapons Bundle: Modern Dillinger, the .700 Magnum Impact, the Herzstopper, the MG-S1 Sniper Wolfe, and the Street Sweeper. (320MS Points)
- Jack of All Trades: Download Jimmy Lira – Lira starts out with the arsonist, engineer, medic, and safecracker specialties and comes equipped with a level 2 machine gun – the MP38. (320MS Points)
- The Corleone Bundle — All of the above (800MS Points)
So that’s about £10 to £15 for a multiplayer map, a playable character, and a few weapons. Why on earth were these not just included in the original game release? The answer is obvious, as so is the solution; do not buy DLC for EA games.
Godfather II should be out by next week (April 7th?), with the DLC coming out on both Xbox Live and the Playstation Network. I personally wont be buying this DLC, nor the game. Sure, my “protest” won’t affect anything much, but please spread the word about how EA are milking the crap out of gamers by leaving small features out that should be included in the original release.
02
Apr
The creators of the awesome game Oblivion (Bethesda) announced a great deal yesterday where all of their downloadable content is half price!
“In celebration of the arrival of April, the wackiness of April Fool’s Day, and the upcoming 3rd anniversary of the release of Horse Armor (Friday, April 3), we are pleased to announce that for the next week all Oblivion DLC for Xbox 360 is half price, except for Horse Armor, which is twice as much as usual. So if you’ve been waiting for just the right moment to get The Vile Lair, or Knights of the Nine, or Shivering Isles, now is the time.”
Thinking this was some soft of “April Fools” joke, I checked the marketplace to find that… it was real! All downloads are still half price, apart from the horse armour, which is double.
If you are at work, check this link to view the marketplace offer and purchase DLC to prepare the downloads to your Xbox 360 when you get home.
As I own the collectors edition of the game, I already have the Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine. I managed to buy The Vile Lair, The Thieves Den, The Wizard’s Tower and The Orrery for a mere 300MS points! I’m also thinking of buying the Mehrune’s Razor DLC too.
So, for those who don’t already own all of the Oblivion DLC, this is the best time to get it! It’s also another great excuse to load the game up again and get back into it!
