Halo 2Platform: XboxPublisher: MicrosoftIf you didn't know about the Halo 2 launch, then you must have been in a coma, on a deserted island, or just plain brain-dead to have missed it. Simply put, Halo 2 is the most anticipated and hottest selling Xbox title. Ever. Now, if you don't already have it, crawl out from under your rock and read.
There are numerous improvements in Halo 2. But, as you may have already heard, the single player campaign is not what it's all about. Sure, it has a good story, but it was disappointingly short for even our tastes. It took all of about three or four good sessions to get through the campaign.
The online multiplayer mode is really where it's at. Whereas the first game had a deep storyline with plenty of twists, it lacked solid online play. In order to even get a game going, you had to set up a tunnel through your computer. Pain in the ass waste of time it was. The only thing Halo 2 requires is your Xbox Live account and then you're instantly patched in with tons of sessions going on at once.
Furthermore, the maps really make for some interesting sessions as well. Each map is well balanced and avoids some of the typical pitfalls of allowing one place to be the perfect sniper camp, or another spot to be a murder hole. The complexity of the maps also forces you to come up with team strategies rather than one guy going off and doing everything-sheer brilliance.
Overall, the game is well done and well executed. Nothing short of what we'd expect from one of the most hotly anticipated titles of all time. It's well worth every penny you'll drop on it. If you don't already have it now, chances are you're a vegetable.
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-EarthPlatform: PCPublisher: Electronic ArtsWhen it comes to real-time strategy games, few can hold a candle to the likes of Command & Conquer and the Warcraft legacy. However, one occasionally comes along that amazes us and also makes damn-good use of a creative license. Thankfully, the likes of EA and Peter Jackson are the capable hands who have undertaken the epic responsibility of making movies and games based on Middle-Earth.
In fact, EA's collaboration with New Line Cinemas has turned out to be a good thing. A very good thing. Each of the console games based on the movies stuck not only with the storyline but translated the universe into an interactive setting. Battle for Middle-Earth is no different. Now, this RTS makes it possible to delve into Middle-Earth and recreate some of the most memorable battles yet.