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.

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Wow, what a month it has been. Usually this time of year most gamers are either still playing games from Christmas/January sales, or rummaging through their old uncompleted games.

This month we were treated to some very special Xbox 360 games. Admittedly, one of them was more of an “update” (Burnout Paradise), and another for the PC (although it allowed you to gain achievements towards your Xbox gamerscore. Namely; Dawn of War 2). But still, it’s been a great month.

So, who is this month’s winner?

Well, like last month I’d just like to quickly remind you that this is my personal choice of “Game of the Month”, and does not in any way relate to game sales or Xbox Live activity stats. No, this is just the game which I have either played a lot during the month, or has brought me incredible joy.

So, this months winner is…

(insert drum roll here)

My Horse & Me 2
Wait! No! Only kidding. It’s…

Street Fighter IV
Could there honestly been any other choice? I’m sorry this was so predictable. Although, I was quite tempted to choose the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection. Instead, that will just have to be this months runner-up.

Street Fighter IV is damn tough. I’ve heard many complaints about getting completely creamed by Seth and online various opponents. However, with practice it is possible to beat Seth and at least hold your own online. Once you grasp the basic skills (rather than button-bashing) this game quickly becomes very rewarding.

Well done Street Fighter IV!

Honourable Mention(s)
Sega Mega Drive: Ultimate Collection – Nostlagic heaven. Added enhancements make it better than playing ROMs.
Call of Duty: World at War – Amazing game. Another strong contender for Xbox 360 game of the month.
Halo Wars – The demo was very promising. However, I have not had the chance to play the full retail version yet.
Dawn of War 2 – Awesome PC game, but due to it not being on Xbox 360 I can’t really choose it anyway for game of the month.

Main Disappointment(s)
Lord of the Rings: Conquest – Combat felt a bit random. Lacked skill and quickly became repetative and boring.
Fuzion Frenzy 2 – Bleh.

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There seems to be three strong contenders for game of the month this February. Namely; Halo Wars, Street Fighter IV, and Dawn of War 2 (which I know isn’t an Xbox 360 game, but you can still earn achievements).

So far I have only played the Halo Wars demo and Street Fighter IV. Hopefully I will have received my copy of Dawn of War 2 through the post today. Fingers crossed!

Not everyone is fortunate enough to purchase three games in one month. So I am curious as to what game (or games) you are/have been saving for. Also, which of the three do you think will be the best game of February 2009?

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This new feature contains a top choice each month of my most favourite games. By “game of the month” I don’t necessarily intend to pick from the releases during that period, but more the games I personally have enjoyed playing most.

Xbox 360 Retail – Gears of War 2
Wow this game is good! I probably don’t need to mention anything about this game as nearly everyone owns it. However, I will say that playing through the main campaign was one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had on the Xbox 360. The story is a huge improvement on the last game (which was also fantastic), and it really builds more on the characters and atmosphere.

I really could go on for ages about everything I love about this game, but I will try to keep this short. I’ve heard that some people have had issues with the multiplayer modes (even after the recent updates), but I personally have only had a great time online.

Xbox 360 Live Arcade – The Maw
Most of you who have already read this blog know how much I love this game. This was a very pleasant surprise and a really refreshing and enjoyable experience. I’ve heard that Twisted Pixel are making some more levels (with additional achievements), and I really can’t wait.

The Maw sets a really good example for Xbox Live Arcade games. The price was very reasonable (800MS points), it came with free gamerpics and a premium theme (all themes usually cost 250MS points), the gameplay was great fun, the graphics were impressive (for an Arcade game), and there was no glitches. I love it! More games like this please!

Honourable Mention(s)
Fable 2: Knothole Island – Amazing experience. I hope Lionhead do more DLC for this game.
Eternal Sonata – This game is gorgeous! I just haven’t had the time to play it enough this month.

Main Disappointment(s)
Spiderman: Web of Shadows – Glitchy and dull. Not quite as good as Spiderman 3, which wasn’t particularly brilliant either.
Rayman Raving Rabbids – Not as good as on the Wii. I can’t even play this for the easy achievements because it’s so boring.

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