Welcome to our brand new monthly recap feature that takes a look at some of the top gaming titles that were released for the Xbox 360 sometime in the past month (including Xbox Live Arcade and of course retail). From the entire catalogue of releases we narrow it down to a field of five and determine which one of those is our top Xbox 360 game of the month. September was indeed a tough battle, with lots of contenders coming from a number of different genres, but I think you probably have a good idea what won out in the end, yes? With that, let’s look at our five top contenders and then choose an overall winner for the PlanetXbox360.com game of September 2011; feel free to disagree (or agree) with us via the Facebook comments section below!
Dead Island (Square Enix) – What started out as one of the most vivid trailers that we’ve seen in years has actually evolved into a well-made first-person zombie slasher, one where tourists fight their way off of an infected tourist resort, using any means necessary to stay alive. The perspective is well played out here, so you don’t have to worry about the game falling into a familiar Dead Rising syndrome. For that matter, the gameplay is also intuitive, letting you mix up weapons and even take in the sheer joy of throwing a boat oar through a zombie’s head. And the co-op factor adds even more fun, as you can work with others to stay alive.
Radiant Silvergun (Treasure) – A game that started its life 13 years ago as an import-only Sega Saturn release has finally found its way to Xbox Live Arcade, in the form of a $15 downloadable title that’s worth every penny. Sure, the insane difficulty may lead some folks to think that the game’s unbeatable (and in some ways, it is), but the sheer variety of enemies you’ll face, along with the gorgeous graphics and the awesome soundtrack, will keep you in awe as you plow away for more credits and use every power-up in your arsenal. Throw in some leaderboards to challenge your friends’ continuously changing high scores and two-player co-op and you have one of the best shooters you can possibly own on Xbox Live. And yes, that’s even considering Deathsmiles.
The Gunstringer (Twisted Pixel) – Twisted Pixel’s first foray into retail releases, not to mention its first Kinect title, doesn’t disappoint. The Gunstringer tells the tale of a marionette cowboy seeking revenge against the varmints who wronged him, shooting everything in his way as he seeks their fake blood. The gameplay is quite innovative for the Kinect standards, letting you aim and shoot with ease while dodging objects. The graphics look great too, and the classic Sergio Leone-style music, combined with a humorous narrator, gets the job done. Plus the game comes with two bonuses – a downloadable chapter made by the good (bad?) folks at Troma Studios, and Fruit Ninja Kinect. Can’t lose with that combo.
Gears of War 3 (Microsoft) – Epic Games’ long-awaited conclusion to the uber-popular action trilogy is finally here, and while it’s heartbreaking to see it all end, the company knows just how to go out with a bang. Along with a single player campaign packed with exciting moments, memorable bonuses and a nerve-wracking finale, you can also explore the game’s multiplayer features, including a vastly improved Horde mode, the sickeningly cool Beast mode (where you try to kill humans using the Locust army), and multiplayer that’s as addictive as ever. The visuals will blow you away, and the surprises that await you – Cole Train! – will definitely feel as if Epic cares for its fans. Don’t miss this epic conclusion.
Driver San Francisco (Ubisoft) – It’s taken a long time for Driver: San Francisco to get back on the road, so to speak, especially after the disastrous Driver 3 and the somewhat lukewarm sequels that followed. But that’s exactly what this new chapter does, thanks to a cool new gameplay tactic where you can switch drivers at any time spectrally. The number of objectives to complete in this game is ridiculously high, and the graphics look really good, coming across as if you’re in the city itself. The gameplay is lots of fun, too, both in single player and the expansive online multiplayer – now offered for free thanks to Ubisoft’s mistake. Hit the open road with Driver, you’ll be glad you’re back behind the wheel.
So, out of these contenders, what’s the best game of September? Gee, let’s think about this…
Gears of War 3 – To be honest, the first two Gears of War games were outstanding in their own right, between the awesome campaign stuff and the addictive multiplayer. So how crazy would it be for Epic to let us down with the third? It’d be nuts, that’s what. Good thing they didn’t. The enormous stack of features that await you in this game go insurmountably high, and you’ll be playing for hours on end. In fact, why are you reading this when you could be playing RIGHT NOW?! GO!!
